^.  "^-J  JS 


A  tut  Sltw%tr«|  ft 

'^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


Presented    byTVo-^.  \A)  ."S.CTrv-(S<sn(S/,'Xi."X) 

BV   2765    .W5    1915 

White,  Charles  Lincoln,  1862 

-1941. 
The  churches  at  work 


JOHN     MASON     PECK 
Pioneer   Missionary 


THE  CHURCHES  AT 


SEP 


BY 

CHARLES    L.  WHITE 


NEW  YORK 

MISSIONARY    EDUCATION     MOVEMENT 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND   CANADA 

1915 


Copyright,  191 5» 

Missionary  Education  Movement  of  the 

United  States  and  Canada 


TO    OUR    FELLOW   WORKERS 
IN      THE      UNITED      STATES 


/ 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Introduction xi 

I     The  Land  and  the  Workmen 3 

11     Difficulties  to  be  Overcome 23 

III  The  Evangelistic  Method  and  Message 51 

IV  The  Reach  of  the  Individual 81 

V     The  Reach  of  the  Local  Church 109 

VI     The  Church  in  the  Nation 1.39 

VII     The  Church  among  the  Nations 165 

VIII     Master  Workmen 189 

Bibliography 215 

Index 221 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACE 

John  Mason  Peck   Frontispiece 

Cosmopolitan   Bible   Class,    Indianapolis 6 

Edward   A.   Steiner    ;^2 

Joseph    Ettor    38 

Vincent  Maroney  38 

Sunday  Crowd,  Coney  Island,  New  York 44 

Church  of  the  Ascension  Athletic  Club,  New  York 120 

Mulberry  Bush   Gang,   New  York.. 120 

Sunday  Evening  Meeting,  Ford  Hall,  Boston 126 

First  Baptist  Church,  San  Francisco,  Erected  1849 144 

First  Baptist  Church,   San  Francisco,   Erected   1910 144 

Booker   T.   Washington    150 

Type  of  Japanese  Immigrants,   Seattle  Washington 158 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Detroit 166 

Judson  Memorial   Church,   New  York 170 

Epworth  Memorial  Church,   Cleveland 170 

Daily  Vacation  Bible  School,  New  York 176 

Neidringhaus  Basketry  Class,  St.  Louis 176 

Italians     Studying     English,     Green     Street     Church,     San 

Francisco    178 

Boyle  Center  Night  School,  St.  Louis 178 

Typical  Mountaineer  Home  198 

Church  for  Mountaineers   198 

Opportunity   for  Service,   Santiago,   Cuba 2C2 


INTRODUCTION 

It  has  been  my  desire  to  show  In  an  Intimate,  popu- 
lar, and  concrete  form  the  serious  situation  confront- 
ing the  churches  of  America,  and  suggest  ways  in 
which  they  may  work  In  the  spirit  that  prevailed  in  the 
early  Christian  centuries,  when,  without  facilities  for 
reaching  and  serving  the  people,  astonishing  spiritual 
results  were  obtained.  The  inference  is  that  America 
may  become  Christian  in  the  fullest  sense  and  influ- 
ential among  the  nations  in  the  broadest  way  if  her 
highly  organized  Christian  forces,  with  modern  tools 
in  hand,  can  feel  the  individual  responsibility  and  have 
the  consecration  and  personal  enthusiasm  of  the  Chris- 
tians of  the  first  century. 

Charles  L.  White 

New  York  City,  May  lo,  191 5 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN 

The  Land 

Wide  Horizons.  While  crossing  from  Antwerp  to 
London  an  American  student  boasted  of  the  great 
extent  of  the  United  States.  The  Englishman  to  whom 
he  spoke  replied :  "My  friend,  do  you  not  know  that  the 
worth  of  a  picture  does  not  depend  upon  its  size?" 
And  then  he  dropped  a  word  about  the  vast  extent  of 
Canada,  showing  that  size  impressed  him  also.  It 
affects  every  one.  A  mountain  gives  to  the  soul  more 
than  the  hill,  the  wide  prairie  more  than  the  pasture, 
the  swift,  deep,  broad  river  more  than  the  brook,  how- 
ever sweet  its  song. 

The  Earliest  Inhabitants.  The  continent  has  been 
here,  who  shall  say  how  long?  and  who  can  safely  state 
whence  came  its  earliest  inhabitants?  Were  they  Mon- 
golians? What  we  know  about  America  dates  back  to 
a  certain  time  when  different  types  of  men  with  various 
motives  began  here  their  new  and  strange  lives. 

America's  Real  Founders.  The  first  to  arrive  suc- 
ceeded not  so  much  because  of  what  they  brought  as 
because  of  what  they  were.  It  was  their  character  that 
conquered.  Their  courage  could  not  be  crushed.  If 
harvests  failed,  their  hearts  did  not  falter.  If  disease 
laid  low  their  leaders,  fresh  determination  came  to  those 

3 


4  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

who  were  left.  Their  intensity  was  the  ax  that  cut 
away  the  underbrush ;  their  zeal  was  the  fire  that  burned 
it.  They  met  all  foes  face  forward.  They  understood 
each  other,  knew  their  own  hearts,  and  grasped  much 
of  God's  plan.  In  most  cases  the  settlers  were  persons 
of  high  purpose,  anxious  to  find  in  the  new  world  an 
open  door  to  religious  freedom  and  to  personal  initia- 
tive. What  did  they  bring  with  them  ?  They  reached  a 
strange  shore  with  an  ax,  a  saw,  a  hammer,  a  gun,  the 
Bible,  a  conscience,  and  high  thoughts.  They  estab- 
lished simple  homes,  started  necessary  schools,  erected 
plain,  commodious  churches,  and  by  means  of  these 
three  agencies  small  groups  of  brave  people  scattered 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  have  grown  to  be  one  hundred 
million  souls. 

Guarding  the  Springs.  The  home,  the  school,  and 
the  church  are  the  springs  from  which  flowed  the  pure 
waters  that  quenched  the  thirst  of  the  workmen.  To 
keep  these  springs  unpolluted,  to  guide  and  use  their 
waters  rightly,  is  the  task  of  the  Christians  of  this  cen- 
tury. Every  man  who  would  throw  into  these  waters 
the  poison  of  his  unbelief,  every  man  who  is  indiffer- 
ent to  their  value,  though  eager  to  enjoy  their  benefits, 
must  be  treated  kindly  but  firmly,  and  made  a  friend 
of  the  springs.  The  little  child  and  the  stranger  within 
our  gates  must  alike  be  taught  their  worth  and  trained 
to  use  the  dipper  and  satisfy  all  inner  longings.  This 
work  must  be  done  by  Christians  in  the  home,  the 
school,  the  church,  and  in  every  walk  of  life.  A  Chris- 
tian who  strays  from  this  path  of  labor  is  an  idler,  a 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  6 

tramp,  a  drone.  But  they  who  spend  their  lives  for 
the  springs  are  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  King.  If 
they  do  their  work  well  with  each  generation,  the  long 
future  may  have  earthquakes,  storms,  and  fire,  but  the 
still,  small  voice  of  Christianity  will  be  heard  and 
heeded. 

What  Might  Have  Been.  Who  were  the  first  Chris- 
tians of  America?  They  had  suffered  for  their  faith 
and  wanted  a  place  "to  grow  in  the  sun."  They  came 
from  Anglo-Saxon  lands  and  transplanted  their  cus- 
toms and  habits.  What  if  storms  had  driven  the  first 
ships  to  the  coasts  far  to  the  south,  where  the  climate 
is  enervating?  Would  they  have  built  what  we  to-day 
have  ?  Were  the  blasts  of  winter  needed  to  winnow  the 
chaff  from  the  wheat  whose  planting  and  harvests  have 
been  the  admiration  of  the  world? 

What  might  have  been  the  results  if  the  Spaniards 
had  colonized  the  whole  Atlantic  seaboard  and  had 
repeated  in  the  North  their  work  in  Mexico  and  through 
the  South?  What  might  have  resulted  if  the  French 
had  retained  Canada  and  conquered  the  colonies  ? 

What  would  have  been  the  development  of  the  middle 
and  far  West  if  France,  during  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, had  kept  the  Louisiana  territory,  and  strongly 
dominated  its  civilization?  If  the  war  with  Mexico 
had  not  come,  would  the  states  ceded  to  our  country  be 
now  just  emerging  from  the  darkness  of  feudalism  and 
be  often  rent  with  civil  strife? 

One  impressive  fact  calls  for  long  thought.  In 
America  God  established  a  great  country  strongly  Prot- 


«  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

estant,  facing  the  older  continents,  with  the  poUtical 
and  spiritual  influence  whose  future  reach  and  power 
can  be  only  faintly  understood  by  the  wisest.  This  has 
happened  in  the  fulness  of  time  when  men  who  had 
been  justified  by  faith  took  large  views  of  life  and  were 
eager  for  hard  tasks,  and  one  wonders  if  God  has  not 
made  America  another  chosen  nation.  Is  there  the 
same  danger  of  sin  and  captivity  as  in  ancient  days? 
Is  a  period  of  exile  possible? 

The  Unseen  Hand.  The  racial  struggle  for  a  con- 
tinent was  guided  by  an  unseen  hand.  The  aftermaths 
of  regrettable  wars  were  at  first  bitter,  but  the  later 
harvests  have  been  sweet.  The  forces  of  Protestantism 
in  the  founding  of  the  republic  were  numerous  and 
strong.  A  large  number  of  the  most  influential  lead- 
ers were  loyal  to  Christ.  The  political  and  religious 
factors  in  the  growth  of  some  states  of  the  nation  were 
strangely  intenningled,  but  soon  the  puzzle  was  solved 
and  "Church  and  state"  in  every  place  has  given  way 
to  the  Church  in  the  state. 

An  Inventory  of  the  Population 

The  First  Americans.  How  many  kinds  of  Amer- 
icans are  there  ?  The  first  Americans  were  the  Indians. 
They  are  yet  with  us.  It  is  thought  that  they  came 
after  still  earlier  peoples.  In  our  country  to-day  we 
have  330,000  of  these  people,  belonging  to  200  tribes, 
speaking  57  languages.  A  western  orator  who  excit- 
edly shouted : 

"The  Indian  has  gone,  is  going,  and  is  about  to  go," 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  7 

would  have  told  the  truth  if  he  had  added,  "forward." 
Whether  these  first  Americans  will  go  forward  alone 
or  blended  in  other  races,  who  can  say?  Of  late  they 
have  been  among  the  progressive  people  of  the  nation. 
Many  of  them  have  great  mental  capacity,  personal 
initiative,  and  Christian  leadership. 

Hyphenated  Americans.  We  have  also  what  Presi- 
dent Wilson,  with  others,  has  styled  "hyphenated 
Americans."  They  cannot  easily  forget  their  former 
homes,  and,  while  loyal  to  their  adopted  country  and 
fighting  its  battles  for  freedom  and  righteousness,  each 
cannot  separate  himself  in  sympathy  from  the  land  of 
his  birth.  Its  dangers  try  his  soul,  its  honor  is  as  per- 
sonal to  him  as  his  own,  and  in  its  wars  of  defense  and 
aggression  he  will  assist  with  gifts  of  money  or  even 
Steal  silently  away  and  die  under  his  boyhood  flag. 

Transients.  The  transients  are  visitors  from  many 
lands  who  come  to  America  as  miners  go  to  Alaska — 
to  get  gold  and  return  home,  or  as  fishermen  sail  to 
the  Newfoundland  Banks  for  a  catch.  Many  of  the 
transients  are  overcome  by  temptation,  as  men  die 
tinder  the  stress  of  a  northern  winter.  Others  are 
crushed  beneath  the  wheels  of  industrialism,  like  fisher- 
men run  down  by  ocean  greyhounds.  Those  who 
escape  the  smoke  and  the  filth  and  the  injustice  go  back 
at  last  with  savings  that  promise  a  home  and  a  lifelong 
independence  in  their  native  lands.  What  do  they  think 
of  the  new  land  ?  Were  their  hands  burned  in  the  fires 
of  sin,  or  cleansed  in  the  water  of  life?  They  helped 
to  build  America.     How  much  has  America  built  into 


8  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

them  of  the  kingdom  of  God?  Did  the  churches  by 
closed  doors  discourage  them,  or  by  outstretched  hands 
help  them?  Did  Christians  in  America  drop  any  seed 
in  their  lives  to  gemiinate  in  this  or  in  another  land  ? 

Ideal  Americans.  The  ideal  Americans  are  the 
Christians  who  recognize  the  brotherhood  of  all  men. 
They  count  the  vantage-ground  of  birth  as  a  sacred 
trust.  Their  roots,  reaching  backward  into  the  rich 
soil  of  a  Christian  civilization,  bear  fruit  for  the  poor- 
est of  the  newcomers.  They  have  no  pride  of  "face, 
nor  place,  nor  race,  nor  grace."  They  do  not  make 
broad  their  phylacteries  but  their  sympathies.  In  busi- 
ness they  are  kind  to  the  employed,  just  in  all  dealings 
with  their  fellows.  They  are  not  pirates,  but  prophets 
of  the  new  day  of  social  justice.  They  possess  the 
faith  in  Christ  which  they  profess,  and  when  they  ex- 
plain the  gospel  with  their  lips  they  do  not  have  to  ex- 
plain their  lives.  Their  lives  are  not  only  transparent 
but  translucent.  They  live  in  the  open,  and  can  look  men 
in  the  eye.  They  are  not  boastful,  but  direct,  sincere, 
frank ;  and  church-membership  means  to  them  disciple- 
ship.  They  do  not  hesitate  to  talk  of  Christian  experi- 
ence. They  do  not  have  to  pump  the  water  up.  Con- 
fession of  Christ  flows  from  their  lips  as  freely  as  water 
from  a  faucet  under  the  pressure  of  the  reservoir  open 
to  the  sky.  Their  conversation  is  clear  as  crystal,  and 
it  brings  refreshment  to  many  souls.  The  ideal  Amer- 
icans are  loyal  to  Christ,  devoted  to  the  Church,  faith- 
ful to  those  whom  their  lives  touch  in  the  customary 
ways  or  in  forms  of  service  which  they  devise. 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  « 

How  many  ideal  Americans  are  there?  Who  can 
answer?  They  are  scattered  through  the  land.  They 
differ  in  poHtical,  social,  intellectual,  and  denomina- 
tional convictions,  but  they  use  the  same  spiritual  meas- 
uring-rod. America  will  be  largely  saved  by  them, 
and  their  number  is  surely  increasing. 

Possessors  of  Wealth.  A  national  inventory  of  our 
resources  shows  that  the  wealth  of  the  nation  is  exceed- 
ingly great.  A  large  part  of  this  is  in  the  hands  of 
those  who  profess  to  follow  Christ.  Some  of  these  men 
are  almost  embarrassed  by  their  riches.  How  to  dis- 
tribute even  their  income  without  harming  the  giving 
power  of  others  is  a  task  for  which  they  seek  the  advice 
of  experts. 

Cross-section  views  of  the  business  world  cannot  be 
made.  Surface  suggestions  indicate  that  the  ideals  of 
Christ  are  greatly  needed  in  an  industrialism  based  on 
competition.  But  it  is  encouraging  to  learn  that  a  busi- 
ness man  of  international  reach  declined  to  address  a 
woman's  club  on  the  subject,  "Dishonest  Men  Whom  I 
Have  Met  in  Business,"  saying  in  his  reply  that,  dur- 
ing a  long  life  of  very  wide  connections,  he  had  met  but 
two  dishonest  men.  A  wholesale  merchant  in  New 
York  has  made  the  statement  that,  among  the  thousands 
of  men  with  whom  he  has  done  extensive  business, 
the  most  honest  belong  to  the  group  whose  racial  name 
has  in  some  quarters  been  used  as  a  synonym  of  dis- 
honesty. 

Changes  in  the  business  world  are  coming  swiftly 
and  in  the  right  direction.    They  are  being  hastened  by 


le  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

men  who  are  administering  their  fortunes  as  a  sacred 
duty,  or  who  are  sharing  their  profits  and  helpful  ideas 
among  those  with  whom  they  are  bound  up  in  the 
bundle  of  hfe. 

The  Cave-Dwellers.  The  cave-dwellers  are  still  in 
the  land.  They  live  as  far  removed  from  Christian 
ideas  as  despotism  is  from  democracy  and  as  light  is 
from  darkness.  They  are  in  politics  corrupt.  They 
plan  their  campaigns  in  the  loathsome  atmosphere  of 
bribes  and  spoils.  Their  hiding-place  is  still  a  mam- 
moth cave. 

The  mercantile  cave-dwellers  are  more  cautious,  for 
they  fear  the  light.  They  conduct  business  by  graft, 
and  plot  to  deceive  in  quality  and  quantity.  Their  short 
measures  and  imperfect  scales  are  gathered  by  wagon- 
loads  when  righteous  men  are  in  office.  They  are  the 
Shylocks  of  the  business  world  and  are  of  many  tribes, 
but  are  probably  growing  fewer  in  number. 

The  social  cave-dwellers  are  the  most  cautious,  but 
they  draw  into  their  underworld  of  vice  the  willing  and 
the  unwilling  alike,  and  to  a  slavery  which  destroys 
both  body  and  soul. 

The  cave-dwellers  of  intemperance  are  still  in  many 
places.  The  doors  into  their  dens  open  from  popular 
corners  and  in  respectable  neighborhoods.  They  lure 
into  their  haunts  the  unwary  and  poison  them.  They 
drug  the  conscience,  deaden  the  intellect,  demolish  the 
home,  fire  the  passions,  and  destroy  the  hearts  of  men. 
They  are  very  loyal  to  each  other,  and  defend  them- 
selves by  underground  connections  with  other  cave- 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  H 

dwellers.     Indeed,  subterranean  passages  seem  to  con- 
nect the  dens  of  all  evil  workers. 

The  churches  are  the  foes  of  the  cave-dwellers. 
Christians  in  all  ways  now  known  and  yet  to  be  devised 
must  fight  all  cave-dwellers,  destroy  their  caves  and 
drive  them  up  into  the  sunlight.  Against  these  agencies 
of  evil  Christians  and  churches  must  array  themselves, 
not  spasmodically  under  reform  leadership,  but  con- 
stantly under  divine  guidance,  not  a  few  here  and  there, 
but  all  together  always  and  everywhere. 

The  Workmen 

How  the  Churches  Grew.  The  development  of  the 
denominations  generally  followed  the  lines  along  which 
the  members  of  their  churches  went  westward.  It  was 
a  natural  growth.  Convictions  were  strong  and  a  life  of 
toil  and  danger  made  the  next  world  seem  near.  The 
voices  of  nature  came  as  messages  of  God.  If  faith 
was  stern,  it  was  also  strong.  The  anchors  of  hope 
seldom  dragged  at  their  moorings.  The  rapid  settle- 
ment of  such  a  vast  extent  of  territory  was  followed 
by  the  establishment  of  Christian  churches,  and  the 
efection  of  educational  institutions.  In  all  these  de- 
velopments Christian  men  and  women  had  a  large 
share.  They  placed  their  altars  where  they  plowed 
their  acres,  and  taught  their  neighbors  to  love  and  wor- 
ship God. 

Men  Who  Kept  the  Faith.  The  region  west  of  the 
Mississippi  River  was  brought  to  its  present  Christian 
strength  by  those  who  did  not  leave  their  religion  be- 


12  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

hind  them  when  they  crossed  its  flood.  These  men 
were  the  leaven  that  has  worked  for  righteousness  in 
every  western  state.  The  results  already  seen  could  not 
in  their  full  measure  have  been  accomplished  if  the 
home  mission  societies  had  not  sent  their  missionaries 
to  be  the  spiritual  leaders  in  new  communities.  A  few 
of  them  were  swept  away,  as  was  Demas,  by  the  lure  of 
gold,  but  the  vast  majority  were  tried  in  the  fire  and 
were  not  found  wanting.  They  were  men  of  great  faith 
and  large  vision.  Their  strategy  in  founding  churches 
and  schools  was  based  on  spiritual  intuition.  Men  who 
could  have  amassed  wealth  preferred  to  lay  up  treasures 
in  heaven.  They  laid  foundations  of  gold,  silver,  and 
precious  stones,  and  then  they  pushed  on  like  Chris- 
tian scouts,  searching  for  other  groups  of  believers. 
These  they  established  in  the  faith,  and  inspired  their 
children  to  get  an  education  and  to  be  the  leaders  of 
the  nation. 

Later  Workmen.  Christ's  plan  is  to  complete  the 
tasks  of  the  earlier  by  the  toil  of  the  later  workmen. 
Christians  of  to-day  are  the  later  workmen.  They 
build  the  superstructure  on  a  foundation  laid  by  hands 
now  quiet.  They  dig  for  gold  in  the  mines  the  earlier 
men  started.  They  macadamize  the  roads  former  men 
cut  through  the  wilderness.  Their  hearts  beat  faster 
in  eagerness  to  do  Christian  work  because  other  hearts 
were  crushed  by  cruel  opponents.  They  cultivate  the 
plants  others  placed  in  the  garden,  and  they  gather  the 
fruit.  They  discover  diamonds  on  the  farms  others 
cleared.    Christ  alone  can  m.ake  later  work  supplement 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  13 

earlier  labor.  His  superintendence  of  both  sets  of  lives 
gives  completeness  to  what  would  be  fragmentary. 

The  Search  for  Laborers.  As  the  angel  of  God  stood 
before  the  tent  of  Abraham  looking  for  some  one  to 
trust,  so  Christ  searches  for  trusted  workmen  now. 
There  is  more  important  work  to  be  done  now  than 
Abraham,  Moses,  Joseph,  David,  and  Daniel  did.  The 
workmen  who  are  set  apart  by  ordination  vows  can 
lead  and  plan,  but  they  cannot  win  battles  any  more 
than  military  officers  can.  The  common  soldiers  do 
this.  The  captain  on  the  bridge  cannot  sail  or  save  the 
ship.  The  stokers,  the  engineers,  working  out  of  sight, 
and  the  sailors  aloft,  on  deck,  everywhere  at  work,  are 
the  saviors  of  the  ship. 

The  churches  are  well  officered  by  consecrated  men 
who  lead  those  that  will  follow.  They  are  the  archi- 
tects, and  they  need  masons,  carpenters,  and  others  to 
execute  their  plans.  One  can  deceive  himself  into 
thinking  he  is  doing  his  full  Christian  service  in  polish- 
ing an  altar-rail,  or  helping  in  a  bazaar,  and  of  course 
all  work  done  for  Christ's  glory  is  of  value,  but  spir- 
itual workmen  are  needed. 

Divine  Training  Schools.  This  demand  for  spirit- 
ual workmen  is  the  test,  and  shows  the  task  of  the 
churches.  No  other  organizations  can  produce  these 
workmen,  lead  them  into  the  life  of  God,  show  them 
the  water  that  slakes  the  thirst  and  a  bread  that 
strengthens  the  soul.  No  other  force  can  equip  them 
for  service  than  this  divine  agency  for  saving  the  people 
of  the  world.     A  true  church  makes  a  true  workman. 


14  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Her  ministry  and  inspiration  are  essential  to  give  life 
and  light  and  power.  "Where  there  is  no  vision,  the 
people  perish." 

The  churches  teach  men  to  realize  God's  plan  for 
the  world's  rescue  from  sin,  his  plan  for  the  family 
and  for  each  human  life.  Christians  to-day,  though 
far  removed  in  time  from  the  Lord's  ascension,  read  in 
the  holy  Scriptures  his  thought  for  all  time.  They  are 
not  sailing  under  sealed  orders ;  they  do  not  build  with- 
out an  architect's  plans;  they  do  not  work  in  a  tread- 
mill, seeing  no  result  of  it  all. 

The  workmen  of  to-day  are  distracted  by  a  thou- 
sand things  their  fathers  did  not  have,  to  divide  their 
thought  and  consume  their  energy.  They  must  toil  at 
spiritual  tasks  in  the  center  of  such  great  social  changes 
that  some  are  seriously  asking  how  much  of  what  now 
exists  will  remain.  The  chances  for  work  that  lift  men 
out  of  sin  and  on  toward  goodness  and  up  to  God  were 
never  greater.  If  they  are  thrown  away,  men's  souls 
will  shrivel  and  the  workmen  will  be  ashamed  when 
they  come  to  the  day  of  death. 

The  Test  of  Life.  If  any  institution  proves  itself  to 
be  a  part  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  whatever  its  poverty 
or  trials,  it  will  have  vitality.  If  a  church  ministers  to 
the  spiritual  needs  of  the  world  it  will  be  divinely 
blessed  because  it  is  a  part  of  this  kingdom.  It  may 
even  for  local  causes  cease  to  exist,  and  yet  still  live 
forever  in  the  lives  it  molded  and  fired  and  adorned 
with  heavenly  grace. 

The  same  is  true  of  each  one  in  the  church.     If  he 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  15 

keeps  himself  unspotted  from  the  world  and  visits  the 
fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  he  will  not 
live  in  vain.  Christ  will  keep  his  hands  busy,  if  a  man 
keeps  his  heart  beautiful.  The  home,  the  school,  the 
mill,  the  office,  the  circle  of  friends,  can  never  be  what 
they  were  before  such  a  life  blessed  them. 

As  in  the  past,  so  in  the  future,  there  will  be  a  divi- 
sion of  labor  among  the  workmen.  The  burning  ques- 
tion which  each  one  should  ask  and  in  its  light  read  the 
answer  is :  "Have  I  found  my  part  in  the  division  of 
labor?  How  can  I  find  it  at  once  and  make  my  life 
more  effective?" 

The  Inner  Proof.  Does  any  one  forget  that  he  must 
be  in  the  kingdom  of  God  to  work  in  it?  A  pupil 
stands  by  the  bed  of  Raphael  as  he  is  dying.  He  longs 
that  the  spirit  of  his  master  may  come  into  his  life.  He 
prays  that  the  same  spirit  may  come  to  his  hand,  that 
the  productions  of  his  life  may  be  as  beautiful  and 
great  as  those  of  the  one  so  soon  to  leave  him.  But 
Raphael  whispers  to  him: 

"You  must  begin  where  I  began.  I  cannot  give  my 
skill  to  you."  It  is  not  so  with  the  divine  Master.  He 
breathes  his  spirit  into  each  disciple,  walks  and  talks 
with  him,  supplements  his  weakness  with  his  strength, 
guides  and  girds  him,  and  stays  with  him  till  the  day  of 
life  ends,  and  goes  with  him  beyond  the  dark  frontier. 

A  Christian  Ambition.  Facing  present  world  con- 
ditions what  Christian  could  say  this :  "My  chief  ambi- 
tion is  to  amass  a  fortune ;  to  win  honors ;  to  sit  quietly 
down  among  congenial  friends,  enjoy  as  many  lux- 


16  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

urks  as  possible,  read  a  little  poetry,  keep  in  touch  with 
current  literature,  occasionally  go  to  Europe,  get  away 
from  the  cold  of  winter,  spend  my  summers  at  the  sea- 
shore, and  own  an  automobile.  I  do  not  want  to  see 
the  suffering  of  the  world.  I  may  have  enough  of  my 
own  at  any  time." 

What  says  the  normal  Christian  workman?  "My 
chief  ambition  is  to  serve  my  generation  according  to 
the  will  of  God;  to  impart  my  knowledge  of  Christ  to 
all  I  can;  to  be  a  divine  agent  in  lifting  those  cast 
down  in  suffering,  in  sorrow,  and  in  sin;  to  help  in 
changing  the  conditions  that  favor  imperfection  and 
misfortune;  to  be  not  cynical  or  critical  but  charitable 
and  hopeful;  to  consecrate  my  life  in  the  service  of 
God  and  to  the  uplift  of  men."  A  man  with  this  am- 
bition will  find  his  life  full  of  surprises,  and  his  path 
will  often  cross  the  path  of  others  whom  he  can  save. 
In  America,  the  land  of  the  world's  largest  promise, 
such  souls  are  needed:  not  just  a  few  to  save  the 
nation  by  their  presence,  as  ten  righteous  persons 
could  have  saved  Sodom,  but  a  multitude,  trained  in 
the  churches  to  make  Christ  known  everywhere. 

The  Spirit  of  the  Workmen.  The  same  earnest 
spirit  must  be  in  the  later  workmen  that  was  in  their 
fathers,  although  we  use  methods  as  widely  different 
from  those  employed  in  the  earlier  days  as  our  mod- 
em machinery  differs  from  the  simple  tools  of  three 
centuries  ago.  The  first  builders  worked  by  hand  and 
we  labor  largely  through  organizations.  How  can 
the  churches  get  a  revival  of  man-power  into  Chris- 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN        17 

tian  work  while  still  employing  the  latest  wheels, 
pulleys,  and  belts?  How  can  the  machinery  of  modern 
Christian  agencies  enlist  more  fully  the  services  of 
men  who  are  not  professionally  attached  to  it? 

Are  the  Workmen  Positive?  The  earlier  workmen 
who  labored  so  well  lived  simple  lives.  How  can  we 
to-day  make  our  complex  lives  more  simple?  They 
had  few  social  engagements.  How  can  we  spiritualize 
our  social  life?  Will  it  be  by  cutting  out  the  less 
important  part  as  athletes  do  the  food  that  does  not 
make  muscle  while  they  are  in  training?  Did  St.  Paul 
have  this  in  mind  when  he  urged  men  to  lay  aside 
every  weight?  Our  fathers  were  sure  of  their  per- 
sonal relation  with  God.  Do  we  know  that  this  rela- 
tionship is  constant?  They  read  the  Scriptures  and 
followed  their  spiritual  teachings.  Do  we  have  the 
same  daily  contact  with  this  magnet  that  charges  men 
with  its  power?  They  were  sure  of  something,  and 
punctuated  their  statements  of  faith  with  periods  and 
exclamation-points.  Do  we  use  the  dash  and  the  inter- 
rogation mark  too  freely?  They  prayed,  and  con- 
quered sins.  Do  we  neglect  prayer,  and  find  ourselves 
vanquished?  They  worked  at  a  white  heat.  Do  we 
labor  as  Christians  just  to  keep  warm,  and  is  much  of 
our  service  like  the  beating  of  the  hands  to  keep  them 
from  freezing? 

Toilers  and  Oilers.  In  America  men  are  undertak- 
ing great  things  in  art,  literature,  science,  government, 
and  business.  Shall  the  churches  sit  down  before  the 
conquest  of  souls  and  let  the  organized  forces  of  evil 


18  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

entrench  and  outflank  them?  In  this  age  of  great 
foundations  and  organizations  closely  allied  to  the 
churches,  everything  depends  on  the  man  who  under- 
stands their  intricate  inner  works  and  can  use  them. 
In  the  church  with  its  complicated  wheels,  individual 
workers  must  make  the  whole  effective.  Some  will  be 
toilers;  others  will  be  oilers.  Some  will  work  in  the 
open  and  others  in  hidden  places.  Personality  and 
skill  count  most  strongly.  Is  not  the  laggard  a  para- 
site? 

God's  Use  of  Tools.  The  nineteenth  century  saw  a 
republic  of  thirteen  states — leaping  the  central  rivers, 
crossing  the  prairies,  climbing  the  mountains — sweep 
north  to  Alaska  and  cross  the  Pacific  to  help  peoples 
climbing  toward  freedom.  What  may  not  the  twen- 
tieth century  witness  in  th^  intensive  growth  of  the 
same  area  ? 

What  can  the  churches  through  their  membership 
and  organizations  do  in  this  wide  area  within  the  life- 
time of  a  generation?  Exactly  as  much  as  God  can 
do  with  such  human  tools  as  he  finds  to  use  in 
America.  Shall  they  be  dull,  poorly  tempered,  weakly 
made?  Can  they  be  beaten  out  on  the  anvils  of  our 
churches  under  the  hammer  of  divine  truth  and.  hard- 
ened, sharpened,  and  tested?  Christians  are  the  tools 
in  God's  hands,  and  the  slogan  o-f  the  churches  of  the 
present  century  may  well  be:  "Have  thy  tools  ready; 
God  will  give  thee  work."  Some  must  be  sharp  to 
cut  away  the  underbrush.  Others  must  be  made  to 
plant  the  seed,  to  cultivate  the  soil,  and  still  others  to 


THE  LAND  AND  THE  WORKMEN  19 

reap  and  garner  the  wheat.  The  Spirit  giveth  to  every 
tool  its  work. 

What  are  the  peoples  among-  whom  these  churches 
have  worked  and  must  labor?  At  first  they  were 
alike;  now  they  are  unlike.  Nothing  in  the  history  of 
the  world  faintly  foretold  the  multitudes  who  have 
come  from  many  lands  to  get  the  gold,  the  freedom, 
and  the  blessings  of  America. 

The  Labor  is  Long  and  Hard.  Among  the  first 
group  of  selectmen  in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, 
were  those  who  carried  out  a  vote  of  the  town  meet- 
ing and  built  a  road  extending  a  few  miles  westward 
from  the  village  center  into  the  wilderness.  When 
they  reported  their  work  and  the  expense,  they  were 
asked  why  they  built  so  long,  a  road  ?  The  chairman 
answered :  "While  we  were  doing  the  work  we  thought 
we  might  as  well  build  it  as  far  as  a  road  would  ever 
be  needed  in  that  direction." 

Those  early  workmen  little  realized  how  far  that 
road  would  go  in  three  centuries,  what  cities  it  would 
pass,  what  institutions  of  a  Christian  civilization,  what 
monuments  of  peace  and  war,  what  churches  and  what 
schools,  the  millions  that  should  walk  it  would  see. 

Are  the  later  workmen  holding  views  of  America's 
future  as  inadequate  to  what  will  be  in  the  advance- 
ment of  America's  greatness  in  population,  material 
increase,  intellectual  growth,  and  spiritual  influence? 
It  is  high  time  to  think  of  the  tests  and  tasks  of  the 
Christian  churches  of  such  a  land  and  to  be  guided  to 
them  all. 


-20  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Three  Centuries  Hence.  Three  centuries  from  now 
how  many  inliabitants  will  dwell  within  our  borders? 
What  dangers  will  be  faced  and  escaped?  What  civil 
wars  may  come  to  threaten  our  land?  What  foreign 
complications  may  rise  to  embarrass  us?  Great  social 
upheavals  may  break  forth  like  slumbering  volcanoes 
and  try  our  souls.  New  and  sudden  tests  may  come 
to  our  democracy.  Dangerous  caste  systems  may  be 
produced  by  pride  and  wealth  and  arrogance.  Heavy 
chastisements  may  be  visited  upon  the  land  if  its  people 
forget  God.  Painful  social  reconstructions  will  ap- 
pear if  men  trample  the  Golden  Rule  under  their  feet. 
What  industrial  revolutions  may  spread  terror  in  the 
business  world?  What  new  and  secret  combinations 
are  possible  between  politics  and  religion  which  would 
prove  as  dangerous  as  shells,  whose  impact  not  only 
destroys  but  whose  explosion  spreads  poisonous  gases 
and  fire  over  wide  areas?  These  questions  suggest  a 
hundred  others  that  rise  to  perplex  American  churches 
and  to  paralyze  the  activities  of  not  a  few  Christians  as 
they  contemplate  the  spiritual  work  that  must  be  done 
and  gird  themselves  for  their  strenuous  tasks. 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME 


II 

DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME 

Some  Compensations.  Stumbling-blocks  in  the 
path  for  many  timid  souls  have  been  stepping-stones 
for  other  brave  spirits.  The  progress  of  the  world, 
material,  educational,  social,  and  spiritual,  has  been 
one  long  conquest  of  difficulties.  Many  men  have 
failed,  but  others  have  surmounted  the  obstacles,  as 
the  steamship  rides  the  seas  through  which  it  rushes 
because  it  has  power  within  its  frame.  A  complicated 
trade  is  easy  to  the  one  who  has  learned  it.  The  spe- 
cialist amazes  us  with  his  skill.  Men  are  everywhere 
attempting  and  doing  seemingly  impossible  tasks.  In- 
deed, as  certain  knives  are  sharpened  by  hidden  stones 
set  in  complicated  machines,  so  Christians  who  would 
achieve  spiritual  victories  are  made  efficient  by  the 
opposition  that  they  must  meet. 

American  Conditions.  The  spiritual  conquest  of 
America  grows  more  complex  and  perplexing,  as  the 
polyglot  population  of  the  continent  increases,  and  as 
its  resources  enlarge.  The  difficulties  to  be  overcome 
must  be  fearlessly  examined,  and  measures  should  be 
taken  to  conquer  all  of  them. 

Race  Friction 

The  Indians.    The  friction  between  the  Indians  and 

23 


24  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

the  white  people  was  formerly  of  a  violent  kind.  The 
Indians  asserted  their  rights  by  strategy  and  war; 
the  white  people  asserted  their  superiority  by  break- 
ing treaties  and  by  reprisals.  Since  the  day  that  A 
Century  of  Dishonor  was  written,  the  Indians  have 
been  cheated  out  of  millions  of  dollars  of  property  by 
white  men  by  the  aid  of  unjust  state  and  national 
legislation  which  rendered  the  Indians  helpless  to  de- 
fend themselves.  Their  contact  with  the  white  race 
has  brought  them  disease  and  death.  Efforts  for  their 
advance  along  lines  that  have  been  largely  devised  by 
the  Indian  Conference  at  Lake  Mohonk  have  been  con- 
stantly retarded  by  political  schemers  in  states  where 
the  Indians  had  been  allotted  valuable  lands.  Utter 
discouragement  seizes  those  who  have  been  treated  like 
children,  compelled  to  be  quiet  and  kept  under  re- 
straint. That  they  have  accepted  the  gospel  so  freely 
at  the  hands  of  white  men  whose  brothers  have  de- 
ceived them  encourages  mission  workers  to  believe 
that  Christianity  will  yet  be  received  by  all  the  tribes. 
Fully  forty-six  thousand  Indians  are  not  touched, 
to-day  by  any  interpreters  of  Christianity.  Many 
tribes  number  only  a  few  hundred  and  are  largely 
engaged  in  agricultural  work  and  other  forms  of  man- 
ual labor.  Several  tribes  thus  far  have  proved  inac- 
cessible to  the  missionaries.  The  treatment  they  have 
received  makes  them  cautious,  and  who  can  blame 
them? 

The  Negroes.     The  Negro  problem  also  is  made 
difficult  by  racial  friction.     This  exists  to  some  extent 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  25 

in  every  part  of  the  country,  and  many  keen  observers 
fear  that  it  is  increasing,  but  not  in  its  more  violent 
forms.  Men  inflamed  by  the  passions  of  v\^ar  see 
through  a  glass  darkly,  but  when  fifty  years  have  sub- 
dued their  emotions  they  behold  the  far-off  events  of 
the  struggle  v^ith  the  poise  of  candor.  History  cannot 
be  written  till  hatred  is  dead.  Swords  have  been 
melted  into  plowshares  in  the  furnace  o»f  affliction,  and 
where  the  thorns  of  hatred  grew,  love  and  peace  are 
yielding  their  happy  harvest  in  the  South, 

Conditions  have  vastly  improved,  and  the  best  ele- 
ments in  both  racial  groups  are  approaching  the  solu- 
tion of  their  difficult  problem  in  a  spirit  which  augurs 
well  for  the  future.  The  tradition  that  a  black  man 
carried  the  Savior's  cross  may  be  supported  by  scanty 
scholarship,  but  it  is  true  that  many  white  men,  North 
and  South,  have  won  their  crown  by  helping  the  Negro 
carry  his  cross.  The  white  man's  cross-bearing  with 
and  for  the  black  man  overcomes  prejudice  and  de- 
stroys friction.  Southern  leaders  warn  the  rest  of 
the  nation  not  to  be  over-impressed  by  the  railings 
of  their  politicians  against  the  Negroes.  Indeed,  it 
is  a  common  observation  that  when  in  politics  or  relig- 
ion men  throw  mud  at  their  fellows  they  simply 
prove  that  they  live  on  the  muddy  side  of  the  street. 
President  E.  M.  Poteat,  a  distinguished  southern  edu- 
cator and  minister,  stated  the  situation  with  fine  exact- 
ness : 

"The  Negro  here  is  a  severer  test  of  our  loyalty  to 
Christ  than  the  Chinaman  in  Canton,  and  we  cannot 


26  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

maintain  our  Christian  consistency  while  we  glow  with 
generous  piety  and  melt  to  tears  upon  the  recital  of  the 
blessing  of  God  upon  our  work  for  the  Negroes  in 
Africa  or  Brazil,  and  freeze  to  hardness  on  seeing  with 
our  own  eyes  the  pitiful  destitution  of  the  Negroes 
here  at  home.  The  love  of  all  men  is  a  thrilling  senti- 
ment, but  it  often  suffers  a  sudden  blight  by  the  find- 
ing of  a  particular  individual  on  our  doorstep.  And 
we  must  remember  that  almost  if  not  quite  the  sever- 
est indictment  Jesus  ever  launched  he  launched  against 
a  man  who  despised  a  certain  loathsome  bundle  of 
humanity  full  of  sores  laid  at  his  gate." 

Dr.  Poteat  was  addressing  Southerners  when  he 
said  these  words,  and  his  recommendations  were  unan- 
imously adopted  by  a  great  religious  convention.  But 
every  word  of  exhortation  given  in  the  South  may  well 
be  repeated  in  the  North,  where  prejudice  against  the 
Negro  is  not  growing  less.  Indeed,  the  Christians  of 
the  North  and  West  may  well  read  the  burning  utter- 
ances of  southern  religious  leaders,  and  labor  more 
zealously  in  their  cities  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
Negro  people,  many  of  whom  absorb  the  vices  and 
not  the  virtues  of  their  environment. 

National  Bearings.  The  Negro  problem  is  not  only 
a  Christian  problem  but  a  national  problem.  With 
practically  every  ninth  man  in  the  United  States  a 
Negro,  and  with  racial  friction  that  often  increases  as 
he  rises  to  leadership,  this  problem  constitutes  one  of 
the  difficulties  in  evangelizing  America.  It  will  never 
be  solved  by  the  North  alone  nor  by  the  South  alone, 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  27 

but  by  Christians  both  North  and  South  together  work- 
ing on  a  larger  plane  than  has  ever  before  been  devised, 
and  in  constructive  ways  that  will  utilize  the  financial 
ability,  the  intellectual  leadership,  and  the  moral 
power  of  the  Negro  race.  This  friction  will  be  over- 
come by  the  increasing  capacity  of  the  Negro  for  leader- 
ship and  developing  the  educational  foundation  boards 
and  the  missionary  societies,  along  lines  that  will  ulti- 
mately fasten  these  institutions  to  the  public  and  relig- 
ious schools  of  the  southern  states,  and  will  at  the  same 
time  conserve  the  best  traditions,  sacrifices,  and  spirit 
of  those  who,  both  North  and  South,  have  built  their 
lives  into  the  growing  temple  of  Christian  education 
that  has  aimed  to  train  leaders  for  the  nearly  ten 
millions  of  Negroes  in  the  country. 

The  Foreign  Units.  The  presence  of  foreign-speak- 
ing units  is  seen  both  in  cities  and  in  rural  commu- 
nities. New  York,  for  example,  is  a  conglomeration  of 
alien  communities.  One  passes  into  Italy  and  then 
finds  himself  suddenly  in  Portugal.  He  goes  through 
Hungary  with  its  several  groups  of  people,  walks  for 
miles  in  the  streets  of  a  Jewish  city,  crosses  an  avenue 
to  discover  that  he  is  in  Greece,  and  after  walking 
through  communities  of  Russians,  Turks,  and  Bohe- 
mians, takes  his  dinner  in  Chinatown.  These  commu- 
nities have  little  to  do  with  each  other.  Their  people 
seldom  intermarry.  They  retain  their  social  customs, 
and,  while  their  rivalries  do  not  lead  to  disorder,  yet 
in  politics,  religion,  and  home  life  they  are  as  dis- 
similar as  the  colors  of  the  spectrum. 


28  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Racial  Antagonism.  An  employer  of  labor  states 
that  the  smoothness  with  which  the  work  in  his  great 
mill  is  conducted  depends  upon  keeping  apart  various 
workmen.  He  has  learned  by  bitter  experience  that 
certain  races,  for  example,  could  not  be  trusted  to 
handle  receptacles  holding  molten  lead  or  to  carry 
heavy  weights  from  one  part  of  the  shop  to  another. 
Accidents  traceable  only  to  hatred  had  proved  to  him 
that  the  terrible  race  warfare  of  Europe  has  been  trans- 
ferred even  to  America.  Even  missionary  societies 
find  it  difficult  to  train  for  the  ministry  in  the  same 
school  students  from  peoples  which  have  been  rivals  or 
enemies  in  other  lands. 

Phases  of  Friction.  The  friction  between  different 
races  in  America  forms  an  obstacle  to  their  evangel- 
ization not  paralleled  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 
In  the  West  the  feeling  against  the  Chinese,  Japanese, 
Hindus,  and  other  Asiatic  workmen  who  compete  with 
American  labor  brings  on  a  state  of  mind  that  makes 
it  difficult  to  work  for  the  Christianization  of  these 
people.  This  feeling  produces  reactions,  and  many 
Christians  who  do  not  hold  these  views  concerning  the 
Orientals  but  are  interested  in  their  salvation  find  that 
the  people  from  eastern  lands  will  not  respond  to  their 
advances  on  account  of  the  general  attitude.  Persons 
in  the  eastern  and  central  states  cannot  safely  sit  in 
judgment  on  their  neighbors  in  the  West,  for  under 
similar  circumstances  they  might  themselves  feel  the 
same  way,  and  indeed,  some  of  them  have  similar 
prejudice  toward  other  races.     Race  friction  is  a  fact. 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  29 

Mohammedanism  has  no  such  prejudice.  Is  this  the 
reason  why  Mohammedanism  so  rapidly  conquers  new 
peoples  and  makes  its  world  into  one  great  brother- 
hood? A  careful  study  of  the  New  Testament  affords 
us  no  warrant  for  the  class  distinctions  and  racial 
frictions  inherited  from  our  fathers. 

Ultimate  Influence.  Shall  we  estimate  the  value  of 
souls  by  their  present  efficiency,  or  by  their  probable 
worth  in  using  their  influence  on  a  race  ?  Each  group 
is  equally  worth  saving,  and  no  racial  unit  can  be 
safely  neglected.  Does  not  the  history  of  the  world 
prove  that  unpromising  peoples  have  risen  to  exert  a 
great  influence?  A  thousand  years  hence  the  Chris- 
tian leadership  of  the  world  may  be  extended  to  na- 
tions that  are  now  in  heathen  darkness  or  to  peoples  that 
were  once  regarded  as  backward  and  possibly  deca- 
dent. 

Every  man  bears  the  divine  image  in  his  life,  and 
when  these  lines  have  been  restored  by  the  grace  of 
God  the  world  may  be  astonished  by  the  fine  texture  of 
his  Christian  leadership  and  initiative?  Can  the  na- 
tions now  Christian  be  confident  of  their  perpetual 
possession  of  a  Christian  civilization  when  they  recall 
that  wide  areas  formerly  held  by  Christian  nations 
across  the  seas  are  now  in  possession  of  Moham- 
medans? The  parable  of  the  tares  may  be  repeated  in 
America.  While  the  husbandmen  slept  the  enemies 
sowed  tares  in  earlier  Christian  countries,  and  Moham- 
medanism is  the  harvest.  .While  American  Christians 
have  slept,  has  the  enemy  been  sowing  tares,  and  is 


so  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

racial  friction,  class  hatred,  and  the  growth  of  Mor- 
monism  the  harvest? 

There  is  no  fairer  test  of  a  Christian's  relation  to 
his  fellow  man  than  for  him  to  imagine  himself  born 
into  a  backward  race  and  to  measure  his  present  feel- 
ing toward  various  people  by  the  feeling  he  would  like 
to  have  shown  toward  himself  if  he  were  one  of  the 
submerged  tenth,  or  of  a  despised  nation.  Does  the 
Golden  Rule  break  one's  rules  of  conduct  and  smash 
his  ethical  standards?  Can  a  man  holding  such  views 
stand  in  the  van  of  the  Christian  army?  Can  he  be 
more  than  a  camp-follower,  timidly  pitching  his  tent 
to-day  where  braver  men  fought  yesterday? 

Guiding  Principles — Christ  versus  Caste.  How 
can  race  friction  be  overcome  except  by  the  spirit  of 
Christ?  No  other  force  now  or  ever  will  exist  in 
America  for  reaching  down  to  those  who  are  sub- 
merged and  bringing  them  up  to  the  rock  of  safety. 
The  delicate  problems  involved  in  social  equality  are 
the  greatest  hindrance  in  the  salvation  of  the  masses. 
How  can  tendencies  in  America  be  overcome  which 
have  produced  in  India  the  caste  system?  Can  India 
be  evangelized  while  the  caste  system  remains?  Can 
America  be  Christianized  with  conditions  prevalent 
which  may  lead  to  perpetual  lines  of  demarcation  be- 
tween different  groups  of  people?  Is  the  dislike  for 
the  Asiatic  a  Christian  feeling?  Our  answer  to  these 
questions  too  often  depends  upon  our  birth,  environ- 
ment, and  early  education.  We  seem  to  be  almost 
able  to  tell  a  man's  views  on  these  difficult  subjects 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  31 

when  we  leani  the  state  in  which  he  was  born.  The 
provincial  element  now  largely  influences  social  and 
religious  convictions. 

Actual  Brotherhood.  The  question  is  too  perplex- 
ing for  solution  in  the  early  part  of  the  twentieth 
century.  Before  this  century  has  closed  will  race  fric- 
tion in  America  be  a  thing  of  the  past?  If  it  is,  it  will 
be  because  Christianity  has  conquered  in  causing  men 
to  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  human  brotherhood,  not 
only  theoretically  but  actually,  and  to  apply  it  to  the 
questions  raised  by  the  various  peoples  of  the  conti- 
nent. One  general  principle  may  guide  those  who  are 
critical.  While  the  stream  is  nmning  clear  we  should 
not  roil  it  by  continual  stirring,  but  patiently  stand 
upon  its  banks  until  we  can  see  reflected  in  its  clear 
water  the  firmament  of  Christian  truth. 

Industrial  Friction 

Organized  Labor's  Leadership.  In  recent  years  the 
approach  to  the  industrial  classes  by  the  Christian 
churches  has  been  retarded  by  friction  between  labor 
and  capital.  The  virgin  forests,  the  vast  water  powers, 
the  almost  boundless  resources  of  nature  have  wit- 
nessed such  material  progress  and  accumulation  of 
fortunes  as  have  astonished  the  world.  Skilled  work- 
men receive  wages  which  would  have  been  regarded 
as  almost  princely  incomes  in  other  days.  Some  of 
the  most  skilful  trades  require  to-day  a  technical  edu- 
cation. Realizing  the  basic  and  creative  value  of  labor, 
skilled  and  unskilled  workmen  have  organized  in  ac- 


S2  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

cordance  with  the  latest  rules  of  efficiency.  They  are 
ably  led.  Some  of  these  labor  leaders  are  conspicu- 
ous members  of  Christian  churches.  The  editor  of 
one  of  the  great  trade  union  journals  is  an  officer  of 
a  Christian  church  in  Pennsylvania.  His  soul  is 
stirred  by  what  he  regards  the  unrighteous  treatment 
of  labor,  believing  that  it  does  not  receive  its  portion 
of  the  reward  of  industry.  On  every  possible  occasion 
he  and  his  friends  who  believe  in  Christianity,  speak 
with  great  earnestness.  They  have  been  listened  to 
with  profound  attention  by  delegates  at  great  conven- 
tions who  are  divided  in  their  opinions  and  who  in 
some  instances  hotly  state  that  the  churches  are  the 
foes  of  labor.  There  are  indications  that  conditions 
are  slowly  improving,  but  the  friction  is  intense  and 
widespread.  Labor  has  organized,  demands  its  rights, 
and  uses  its  full  strength  to  enforce  its  demands.  The 
group  of  employers  meanwhile  find  themselves  face 
to  face  with  problems  that  discourage  the  continued 
employment  of  capital.  Capitalists  organize  for  self- 
protection,  and  conditions  approaching  warfare  fre- 
quently occur  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  and 
sometimes  simultaneously.  No  one  can  doubt  the 
presence  of  friction  and  no  one  can  doubt  the  pres- 
ence and  activity  of  devout  Christian  men,  who  are 
striving  to  the  fullest  extent  to  reduce  the  friction, 
to  mend  the  breaches,  and  to  restore  confidence. 

Steiner  at  the  Steel  Mills.  Dr.  Steiner  in  his  book, 
From  'Alien  to  Citizen,  says  of  his  life  in  a  steel  mill 
in  Pittsburgh :  "For  half  a  day,  out  in  the  bleak,  stock- 


EDWARD    A.     STEINER 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  33 

aded  yard  I  grappled  with  countless  bars  of  crude 
iron:  I  strained  and  lifted  and  released  them  doing 
what  I  was  bid  to  do,  not  knowing  what  ends  my  labor 
served.  When  noon  came  my  back  was  so  sore  that 
I  could  not  straighten  it,  and  my  fingers  were  torn  and 
bleeding.  The  foreman  saw  that  I  could  not  stand 
the  strain  of  the  task,  and  in  the  afternoon  put  me  at 
much  easier  if  more  dangerous  work  in  the  mill. 

Between  Equator  and  Pole.  "I  merely  pushed  a 
huge,  hot  caldron  from  a  room  in  which  the  temper- 
ature was  over  two  hundred  into  a  broad,  cold  shed, 
thus  traveling  constantly  between  the  equator  and  the 
polar  regions.  I  believe  I  suffered  no  serious  discom- 
fort; for  I  was  young  and  life  juices  were  running 
full.  It  was  a  hard  job,  nevertheless,  and  as  it  grew 
colder  I  often  had  the  experience  of  my  hands  being 
parched  from  heat  while  my  feet  were  nearly  frozen. 

One  of  the  "Cattle."  "The  end  of  the  day,  when 
the  work  was  over,  proved,  after  all,  the  hardest  period. 
All  my  senses  seemed  to  go  to  sleep  at  once  as  soon 
as  the  strain  was  over,  and  then,  indeed,  I  was  just 
one  of  the  'cattle,'  a  dumb  brute,  ready  to  be  fed  and 
lie  down  to  sleep.  If,  at  the  close  of  a  ten  hour  day's 
work  in  a  steel  mill  I  had  been  offered  a  ticket  to  a 
symphony  concert  or  in  fact  anything  except  a  good 
supper  and  a  bed,  I  would  not  have  accepted  it:  al- 
though my  mind  and  soul  were  still  hungry  for  the 
best  things,  and  I  was  sure  I  must  climb  out  of  the  pit. 

"Not  long  ago  I  was  taking  this  drive  in  a  luxu- 
rious limousine.     My  friends  were  eager  to  point  out 


34  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

the  beauty  spots,  the  superb  residences  with  their  far- 
reaching  lawns,  the  churches,  and  museums:  but  I 
knew  too  much  of  the  great  price  paid  for  it  all  to 
joy  therein.  As  we  glided  on  in  the  softly  cushioned 
car,  I  studied  the  outline  of  the  river  and  imagined  I 
could  see  the  very  mill  in  which  I  worked  some  twenty- 
eight  years  ago.  I  did  not  know  then  that  I  was  help- 
ing to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  colossal  fortune,  to  be 
used  in  many  splendid  ways  for  the  public  good:  for 
at  that  time  I  was  merely  one  of  the  'cattle,'  as  a  cer- 
tain 'captain  of  industry'  expressed  it  the  very  day 
of  the  drive."  ^ 

The  Lawrence  Strike.  One  of  the  most  serious 
exhibitions  of  industrial  friction  that  has  ever  been 
witnessed  in  America,  took  outward  form  in  Lawrence, 
Massachusetts,  on  the  morning  of  Januar}'-  12,  191 2. 
The  statement  of  this  conflict  is  described  by  one  who 
anxiously  watched  its  various  phases  and  has  kindly 
prepared  a  description  of  the  actual  experiences  through 
which  the  city  passed.  "The  following  day  Joseph 
Ettor  and  Mar  Zarelli  appeared  on  the  scene,  and 
under  their  leadership  the  strike  assumed  serious  pro- 
portions. A  general  strike  committee  now  took  hold 
of  the  situation.  Ettor  was  made  chairman.  Sixteen 
nationalities  were  represented.  The  Herculean  task 
of  organizing  20,000  mill  operatives  of  divers  tongues 
and  conditions  was  begun.  'Solidarity'  was  their  key 
word,  and  loyally  did  they  maintain  it  for  nine  suc- 
cessive months. 

^Pp.  101-104. 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  35 

"Whatever  may  be  our  views  regarding  the  strike, 
we  must  admire  the  coherency  and  sohdarity  of  the 
representatives  of  these  sixteen  nationahties ;  and  what- 
ever may  be  said  of  the  personnel  of  the  strike  com- 
mittee, its  masterful  leadership  was  unquestioned. 

"The  strike  committee  issued  a  manifesto,  ignoring 
the  fifty-four  hour  law,  the  supposed  cause  of  the 
struggle,  and  made  the  following  demands : 

1.  Fifteen  per  cent  increase  in  wages  for  all. 

2.  The  abolition  of  the  bonus  system. 

3.  No  discrimination  against  strikers. 

"The  next  day  brought  many  new  developments. 
Rioting  and  disorder  were  frequent.  The  state  militia 
was  called  out.  The  morning  of  the  street  car  riots 
will  long  be  remembered  by  Lawrence  citizens.  A 
change  of  sentiment  followed.  The  people  now  fdt 
that  the  real  issue  was  not  a  strike  for  higher  wages, 
but  the  question  of  the  preservation  of  rights  due  to 
every  true  American.  The  citizens  in  general  were  in 
sympathy  with  the  strikers  for  higher  wages,  but  they 
could  not  stand  for  the  anarchistic  leadership  of  the 
Industrial  Workers  of  the  World. 

"Grievous  mistakes  were  made,  both  by  capitalists 
and  strikers.  The  most  reprehensible  act  in  connec- 
tion with  the  strike  was  the  'planting'  of  dynamite  in 
an  Italian  cobbler  shop  and  in  the  home  of  a  Syrian 
family.  It  should  be  remembered  that  this  was  done, 
not  by  the  strikers  themselves,  but  by  a  school  com- 
mitteeman, the  son  of  an  ex-mayor.  The  purpose  was, 
of  course,  to  turn  public  opinion  against  the  strikers. 


36  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

This  'unworthy  citizen,'  who  was  the  leader  of  this 
reprehensible  act,  fumbled  at  his  job.  He  was  found 
guilty  and  a  few  months  later  the  citizens  of  Lawrence 
indicated  their  disapproval  and  shame  of  this  evil- 
minded  man  by  issuing  papers  of  recall  and  by  placing 
another  in  his  place  as  a  member  of  the  school  com- 
mittee. 

"Sunday,  September  29,  will  be  a  day  long  to  be 
remembered  by  Lawrence  people.  The  strike  was 
over,  and  the  strikers  had  won.  Ettor  and  Giovan- 
nitti  were  still  in  jail.  A  permit  for  a  demonstration 
was  granted  by  the  city  authorities.  This  parade  be- 
came a  scene  of  riot  and  disorder.  The  local  leaders 
broke  faith  with  the  civic  authorities.  The  red  flags 
of  anarchy  were  carried,  together  with  the  banner 
bearing  the  inscription,  'No  Master,  No  God.' 

"This  day  of  anarchy  and  riot  stirred  the  Lawrence 
people  to  their  very  depths.  On  the  following  Wednes- 
day hundreds  of  citizens  responded  to  the  call  of 
the  mayor  for  a  protest  meeting  in  the  city  hall.  That 
the  day  of  mob  rule  and  anarchy  must  come  to  an  end 
was  the  tenor  of  the  meeting. 

"October  12  was  appointed  as  a  day  for  demonstra- 
tions, in  which  thousands  of  citizens  joined  in  the 
parade,  carrying  no  other  insignia  than  that  of  the 
j\merican  flag.  There  can  be  no  question  that  this 
manifestation  of  loyalty  to  the  flag  of  our  country 
taught  an  important  lesson  of  patriotism  to  our  foreign 
neighbors. 

"In  conclusion  we  may  say  that  the  great  body  of 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  37 

foreign  people  of  Lawrence  were  misled  by  selfish  and 
unpatriotic  leaders  who  had  foisted  upon  them  theories 
of  life  destructive  of  our  principles  of  government. 
The  seed  had  been  cast  into  fertile  soil — a  soil  made 
ready  by  the  generations  of  oppression  in  southern 
Europe.  Their  own  souls  were  stirred  by  the  impulse 
of  a  new  opportunity  given  to  them,  as  they  had  come 
to  this  land  of  liberty,  in  knowing  that  liberty  does  not 
mean  license.  Thousands  of  them  were  right  at  heart, 
but  they  were  misguided. 

"A  wrong  industrial  system  was  at  the  bottom  of 
the  whole  problem.  In  Lawrence  it  was  wicked,  merci- 
less, and  competitive.  The  extravagances  of  the  rich, 
and  also  of  the  moderately  well-to-do,  had  much  to  do 
in  the  creation  of  a  spirit  of  unrest  among  the  unskilled 
and  underpaid  operatives.  The  Lawrence  strike  was 
a  symptom  and  not  a  disease.  The  disease  is  in  the 
system.  The  Industrial  Workers  of  the  World,  though 
anarchistic,  are  not  the  fundamental  cause  but  the  in- 
evitable result  of  present  industrial  conditions.  If  this 
be  true,  then  we  do  well  to  study  the  industrial  condi- 
tions of  our  cities  as  never  before.  Social  and  economic 
conditions  may  give  rise  to  rioting  and  anarchy,  but 
we  cannot  place  the  entire  blame  upon  the  foreigner."^ 

Middle  Meeting-Ground.  Conditions  so  acute  if 
not  dangerous  are  being  studied  by  capitalists  and 
laborers  in  the  light  of  Christianity,  and  may  we  not 
hope  that  out  of  such  efforts  of  the  employee  and  em- 
ployer a  middle  ground  of  brotherhood  may  be  dis- 

^Report  by  the  Rev.  E.  M.  Lake. 


38  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

covered?  Can  any  one  doubt  the  presence  of  industrial 
friction  which  frequently  rises  into  flame,  and  can  any 
one  find  in  the  world  a  promise  of  its  quenching  out- 
side the  teachings  of  Jesus? 

In  an  American  city  where  industrial  friction  was 
at  white  heat,  a  representative  of  each  struggling  group 
was  asked  to  state  his  convictions  and  a  remedy.  The 
largest  church  in  the  city  was  packed  with  men  and 
women.  The  capitalist  spoke  first.  He  was  a  man 
of  fine  training  and  believed  to  be  honest  by  every  one 
who  heard  his  words.  Any  one  who  faintly  suspected 
the  contrary  would  have  been  convinced  that  evening 
of  the  speaker's  sincerity.  He  stated  the  matter 
cogently,  but  his  words  carried  conviction  only  to  his 
friends.    At  the  end  of  a  long  address  he  said : 

"I  cannot  hope  to  convince  you  all,  but  I  know  the 
remedy  for  our  differences.  If  we  would  govern  our 
lives  by  the  words  of  Jesus,  who  said :  'Do  unto  others 
what  ye  would  have  others  do  unto  you,'  we  should 
never  have  to  come  together  again  on  an  occasion  like 
this,  to  discuss  our  differences."  A  great  hush  fell 
on  the  people. 

The  representative  of  labor  then  followed  with  a 
masterful  statement  of  his  cause.  He  convinced  his 
friends,  but  gained  no  others.  At  the  conclusion  of 
his  address  he  paused  and  said: 

*'I  am  in  doubt  whether  I  should  add  the  next  few 
sentences  with  which  I  had  intended  to  end  my  ad- 
dress." But  after  a  moment  he  continued  reading  the 
words  previously  prepared: 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  39 

"We  do  not  agree  here  to-night.  Were  we  to  talk 
indefinitely  and  discuss  this  matter  in  every  possible 
phase,  we  should  disagree  fundamentally,  but  if  in 
some  way  we  could  all  stand  in  the  presence  of  Jesus 
on  the  mountainside  and  agree  to  govern  all  our 
actions  by  the  Golden  Rule,  the  struggle  would  be 
over  and  the  human  brotherhood  would  be  realized." 

Until  that  hour  arrives,  or  so  long  as  industrial  fric- 
tion shall  last,  it  will  constitute  a  difficulty  in  the  evan- 
gelization of  America. 

Roving  Populations 

The  westward  waves  of  people  still  continue  to  How. 
The  movements  that  began  before  the  middle  of  the 
last  century  and  which  were  stimulated  when  the  sol- 
diers returned  from  the  Civil  War,  are  still  in  prog- 
ress. Men  from  the  eastern  states  have  flocked  to  the 
West  and  to  the  Northwest  in  numbers  that  are  surpris- 
ing. People  from  the  South  are  also  spreading  through 
the  West.  The  subdivision  of  farms  as  the  popula- 
tion has  increased  has  not  been  the  rule  in  the  eastern 
states,  and  will  not  be  in  the  western  states  until  the 
land  now  so  abundant  is  more  densely  populated.  The 
movement  westward  has  been  encouraged  by  low- 
priced  lands  on  the  frontier.  When  the  prices  of  land 
there  have  reached  a  certain  point,  the  tide  may  turn 
eastward  again,  for  it  always  moves  toward  cheaper 
lands.  Intensive  farming  in  the  east  and  in  the  states 
from  which  the  people  have  been  departing  may  also 
cause  refluent  waves  of  population. 


40  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Agricultural  Changes.  Successful  farmers  retire  to 
the  towns  when  the  stress  of  life  is  passed.  To  reach 
such  people  with  the  gospel,  and  to  bring  them  to  their 
largest  spiritual  estate  when  the  material  struggle  of 
life  is  over  is  very  difficult.  The  renters  of  farms  are 
not  fixed  to  the  soil  and  they  move  freely  and  fre- 
quently long  distances.  This  occurs  as  often  because 
there  are  poor  crops  at  home  as  because  the  crops  are 
excellent  elsewhere.  They  are  constantly  en  route,  and 
to  reach  them  with  the  gospel  is  not  easy. 

Social  Arrangements.  The  roving  tendency  comes 
to  the  surface  everywhere  in  American  life.  Prosper- 
ous persons  who  are  deeply  interested  in  church  life 
pass  their  winters  in  the  South  if  their  homes  are  in 
the  North.  The  Southerners  are  not  content  unless  they 
spend  their  summers  in  the  mountains.  Dwellers  by 
the  seashore  must  go  to  the  mountains,  and  the  people 
of  the  mountains  must  flock  to  the  seashore.  The 
custom  of  arranging  for  a  winter  and  a  summer  home, 
which  an  increasing  number  of  families  have,  or  even 
several  homes  when  this  is  possible,  has  sadly  disor- 
ganized Christian  work,  and  makes  the  reaching  of 
these  people,  if  they  are  not  Christians,  extremely  hard. 

The  vacation  habit,  which  is  increasing  in  America, 
frequently  upsets  the  vacationists  and  deranges  the 
life  of  the  communities  where  they  are  entertained. 
People  in  cities  move  to  other  sections  in  the  same  city 
so  frequently  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  the  most 
vigilant  pastor  to  keep  track  of  his  congregation. 
Many  good  people  thoughtlessly  select  a  home  remote 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  41 

from  a  church.  Christian  contacts  are  broken,  or  are 
weakened,  and  families  that  have  been  brought  under 
the  influence  of  the  church  and  are  yielding  to  the 
power  of  the  truth  suddenly  remove  beyond  the  reach  of 
organized  Christianity,  Social  customs  that  prevail  in 
great  cities,  where  persons  dwell  as  total  strangers  in 
the  same  block  or  in  apartments  under  the  same  roof, 
raise  a  middle  wall  of  partition  that  is  as  difficult  to 
break  down  as  those  which  formerly  separated  the  Tew 
and  the  Gentile. 

Industrial  Motives.  Great  numbers  of  the  indus- 
trial classes  are  restless  and  are  constantly  moving 
from  town  to  town.  This  is  made  necessary  by  the 
fluctuation  of  business,  by  decadence,  and  by  the  tramp 
habit,  which  becomes  permanent  among  large  classes 
of  the  American  people.  The  wandering  mechanics  in 
the  United  States  are  legion.  The  factory  system,  both 
North  and  South,  attracts  rural  classes,  bringing  them 
from  the  farms  to  conditions  in  the  city  which  are  fre- 
quently unsanitary,  abnormal,  and  destructive  to  all 
that  is  best.  Miners  seldom  have  permanent  homes, 
and  are  but  typical  of  other  groups  of  workmen  who, 
following  lines  of  least  resistance  or  governed  by  pru- 
dential or  selfish  motives,  change  their  habitations. 

Educational  Adjustments.  The  attendance  at 
schools  of  higher  education  means  always  long  absence 
from  home,  and  often  permanent  residence  in  new 
communities.  The  growing  tendency  for  students  in 
the  West  to  attend  the  eastern  universities  for  at  least 
their  graduate  courses,  and  for  students  in  the  East 


42  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

to  attend  universities  and  other  institutions  in  the 
middle  or  in  the  far  West,  is  everywhere  seen.  North- 
erners who  have  estabhshed  their  homes  in  the  South 
because  their  business  has  called  them  there  naturally 
send  their  children  to  northern  educational  institutions, 
while  Southerners  who  reside  in  the  North  send  their 
sons  and  daughters  to  the  schools  still  glowing  with 
the  traditions  of  their  fathers.  Meanwhile  graduates 
from  the  higher  institutions  seldom  return  to  their 
homes,  but  go  elsewhere.  As  they  rise  to  positions  of 
prominence  in  business  and  the  professions,  they  go 
from  one  part  of  the  country  to  another,  and  as  often 
change  their  habitation.  The  tides  of  the  population 
from  the  country  to  the  city  flow  constantly.  Great 
movements  are  also  being  made  from  the  cities  to  the 
country  and  are  growing  stronger  with  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  telephone,  rural  delivery,  the  automobile, 
and  other  rapid  transit  facilities. 

Other  Leadings.  Large  numbers  of  men  have  for 
their  social  goal  the  purchase  of  a  home  in  the  country, 
which  means  that  when  the  stress  of  life  is  ended,  the 
churches  and  institutions  into  which  they  have  built 
their  lives  will  lose  the  inspiration  of  their  presence, 
while  they  move  to  other  places  where  they  will  be 
tempted  to  sit  down  and  rest. 

The  crop  followers,  who  go  from  one  part  of  the 
country  to  the  other,  are  many.  The  strike-breakers, 
who  are  thrown  here  and  there  when  industrial  wars 
are  raging,  are  not  a  negligible  quantity.  A  very  large 
percentage  of  the  foreigners  who  reach  the  Atlantic 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  43 

seacoast  linger  in  the  vicinity  of  its  large  cities,  but 
many  of  these  save  their  earnings  in  order  that  they 
may  purchase  farms,  for  an  agricultural  people  will 
never  be  perfectly  satisfied  away  from  the  soil.  These 
people  become  scattered  in  every  direction,  and  their 
scattering  increases  the  difficulty  of  their  evangeliza- 
tion. Russians  stay  in  Pittsburgh  long  enough  to  save 
money  to  bring  their  families  to  America  and  to  go 
West  and  purchase  land.  Very  few  of  them  wish  per- 
manently to  reside  in  cities.  Industrial  agencies 
scatter  their  workmen.  The  railroads  do  this  most 
of  all.  Business  corporations  constantly  move  their 
best  men  from  city  to  city.  The  number  of  men  and 
women  who  travel  for  business  is  increasing.  Every 
great  industry  takes  on  national  breadth,  and  this 
means  the  scattering  of  its  promoters.  Itinerant  ac- 
countants, wandering  minstrels,  professional  enter- 
tainers and  tramp  mechanics  suggest  numerous  groups 
whose  homes  are  constantly  changing.  The  whole 
nation  seems  to  be  in  a  state  of  flux. 

Legal  Restraint  Useless.  Legislation  regarding 
nomads  has  always  failed.  English  law  was  powerless 
to  restrain  them.  The  remedy  is  in  self- regulation,  not 
in  a  statute.  In  no  other  nation  in  the  world  is  the 
movement  so  constant  and  the  intermixture  of  the 
people  so  ceaseless  and  astonishing.  Doubtless  it  is 
in  accordance  with  the  divine  plan,  and,  while  it  makes 
difficult  the  present  evangelization  of  the  people,  may 
it  not  produce  conditions  that  will  ultimately  assist 
the  rapid  Christianization  of  the  nation? 


44  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Other  Difficulties 

Reaching  Foreign  Colonies.  The  national  units  of 
foreign-speaking  peoples  are  grouped  into  colonies 
both  urban  and  rural.  A  man  returning  to  a  rural 
schoolhouse  in  a  little  town  in  Connecticut  in  which  he 
received  his  early  education,  discovered  that  only  two 
of  eighteen  boys  and  girls  had  American  names.  All 
the  other  names  were  foreign,  and  most  of  them  ended 
in  "ski."  In  that  state,  whenever  a  large  farm  is  sold 
the  probability  is  that  a  foreigner  will  purchase  it,  and 
generally  for  cash.  To  break  into  a  colony  of  Italians 
numbering  from  ten  to  two  hundred  thousand  and  to 
gain  the  attention  of  a  considerable  group  to  the  gospel 
of  Christ  is  a  task  that  tries  the  mettle  of  the  wisest 
missionaries.  It  can  be  done  only  by  representatives 
of  their  own  people,  but  to  train  these  leaders  to  be 
tactful  guides  in  Christian  truth  and  life  is  not  easy. 
Even  the  edges  of  the  national  colonies  do  not  seem  to 
be  melted.  Hollanders  in  Michigan  wear  wooden 
shoes,  and  one  can  hardly  look  over  the  walls  which 
separate  some  foreign  communities  from  their  Amer- 
ican neighbors.  It  is  as  difficult  to  penetrate  into  the 
inner  life  of  a  Chinatown  as  it  is  to  pass  through  the 
gates  of  many  other  entrenched  foreign  colonies. 

Drift  toward  Irreligion.  Another  obstacle  which 
the  Christianization  of  America  meets  is  the  enthron- 
ing of  pleasure  in  the  lives  of  the  people.  The  stream 
is  swift,  wide,  and  turbulent.  Sacred  relations  are 
entered  upon  lightly.  Divorce  is  increasingly  prev- 
alent, with  such  a  diversity  of  state  laws  that  national 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  45 

regulation  of  this  great  evil  seems  to  be  almost  indef- 
initely delayed.  The  absence  of  a  day  of  rest  for  a 
multitude  of  people  and  its  careless  treatment  by  many 
who  were  reared  in  the  light  of  its  blessing  is  another 
distressing  element  in  American  life. 

The  widespread  indifference  to  religion  of  all  kinds, 
the  increase  of  atheism,  and  the  worship  of  material 
things  by  millions  of  people  who  came  to  this  country 
nominally  connected  with  the  Church  of  their  fathers 
present  a  grave  challenge  to  the  Christian  forces  in 
America. 

The  large  number  of  those  who  entirely  neglect  the 
churches,  or  who  only  occasionally  attend  them,  or 
who  are  socially  connected  with  them,  relying  upon 
their  offices  only  in  the  crises  of  life,  and  who  go  to 
civil  magistrates  rather  than  to  their  ministers  for  en- 
trance upon  the  marriage  state,  is  probably  increasing. 
The  drift  to  fraternal  and  social  organizations,  with 
ritualistic  forms  and  vows  which  good  men  almost 
fancy  a  substitute  for  the  blessings  that  only  the  relig- 
ious life  can  give,  is  an  acute  problem  in  many  commu- 
nities. 

The  losses  at  the  top  and  at  the  bottom  of  church  life 
are  reflected  in  the  statistics  of  the  non-resident  mem- 
bers in  the  churches.  Church  attendance  is  disquiet- 
ing, and  the  emphasis  that  is  laid  on  Go-to-church  Sun- 
day is  an  indication  of  a  condition  of  affairs  that  needs 
radical  treatment. 

The  growth  of  antichristian  societies,  the  catechism 
of  the  anarchist  which  teaches  the  little  children  to  Iiate 


46  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Christ  and  every  institution  that  expresses  his  thought, 
the  losses  to  strange  metaphysical  cults,  the  Buddhist 
temples  in  America,  the  influence  of  assemblies  where 
spiritualism,  eastern  mysticism,  and  Oriental  theories 
of  religion  are  exploited  and  encouraged  by  Ameri- 
cans all  show  that  the  forces  of  evil  are  strongly 
organized. 

The  mania  of  materialism,  the  thirst  for  glory  and 
power,  the  two  sets  of  moral  standards  in  business 
and  private  life,  the  passing  of  the  age  of  individual- 
ism, and  the  transition  to  the  age  of  cooperation  of 
capital  and  labor  all  explain  still  other  difficulties.  To 
these  may  be  added  the  socializing  tendency  at  work 
which  places  the  churches  in  a  difficult  position,  as 
their  members  hold  diverse  views  on  many  of  these 
vital  matters. 

Facing  the  Problem.  Will  all  these  hindrances  of 
race  and  industrial  friction  be  overcome?  Can  the 
roving  populations  be  sought  and  saved,  and  organ- 
ized into  effective  workmen  in  the  churches?  Can 
other  difficulties  created  by  sixty  or  more  national 
groups  widely  scattered,  be  vanquished?  Can  the  de- 
votion to  pleasure,  indifference  to  religion,  loyalty  to 
lesser  ideals,  the  madness  for  wealth  be  offset;  and 
love  for  purity,  allegiance  to  Christ,  devotion  to  the 
highest  standards,  and  passion  for  sacred  possessions 
be  substituted  in  their  place  ? 

When  this  is  done  America  will  be  evangelized. 
Can  it  be  done?  Faith  answers,  *'Yes,"  but  love  sighs, 
"How  soon  can  the  churches  do  it?     How  soon  will 


DIFFICULTIES  TO  BE  OVERCOME  47 

they   have   enough   zealous,   consecrated,   active,   and 
alert  members  for  even  beginning  the  task?" 

The  Love  of  Conquest 

Ground  of  Confidence.  The  spiritual  conquest  of 
the  peoples  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada  is  a  colossal  work.  Americans  have  a  genius 
for  great  undertakings,  and  their  capacity  for  initia- 
tive is  almost  boundless.  Their  swords  cut  paths 
through  any  wilderness.  They  build  their  roads 
around  all  precipices  if  once  they  determine  to  reach 
the  summit. 

Our  fathers  remember  the  first  short  lines  of  rail- 
roads that  were  built.  The  country  is  now  a  network 
of  railroads.  Men  are  living  who  recall  the  thrill  with 
which  they  read  about  the  instalment  of  the  first  tele- 
graph, and  men  are  now  in  middle  life  who  remember 
the  days  when  there  were  no  telephones,  while  wire- 
less telegraphy  is  but  the  discovery  of  yesterday. 
When  coal  was  first  offered  for  sale  in  Philadelphia, 
men  would  not  buy  "black  rocks."  The  same  unbelief 
was  first  expressed  concerning  oil.  The  obstacles  over- 
come, the  vast  amount  of  money  spent  in  pushing  these 
important  enterprises,  reveal  the  character  of  our 
people.  The  tunneling  of  mountains,  the  spanning  of 
rivers,  the  cutting  of  canals,  the  construction  of  sub- 
ways and  of  aqueducts  which  convey  water  vast  dis- 
tances or  even  under  rivers  and  bring  it  under  high 
pressure  into  great  cities,  constitute  the  wonders  of  the 
age.     No  difficuhies  deter  men  from  their  conquests. 


48  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

The  things  which  have  been  done  in  the  name  of  Christ 
in  enlarging  the  borders  of  his  kingdom  during  the 
last  eighty  years  in  which  all  of  these  material  steps 
forward  have  been  taken  are  a  sure  prophecy  of  what 
may  be  accomplished  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  which 
we  have  enumerated. 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND 
MESSAGE 


Ill 

THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND 
MESSAGE 

Early  Centuries.  The  work  of  the  first  century 
was  conducted  by  those  who  had  seen  the  Lord  or  by 
those  who  were  acquainted  with  them.  The  zeal  of 
these  disciples  and  their  testimony  for  Christ  brought 
wonderful  results.  They  were  ably  led  by  ministers 
who  served  them  in  the  gospel  and  who  inspired  them 
by  holy  example.  Under  the  most  adverse  conditions, 
facing  opposition,  persecution,  and  death,  they  gave 
faithful  witness  to  their  Christian  experience.  The 
new  religion  spread  like  a  fragrance,  unseen  but  easily 
detected.  Slaves,  their  masters,  merchants,  humble 
workmen,  soldiers  and  princes,  poor  and  rich,  ignorant 
and  learned,  became  Christian  disciples. 

With  an  organization  that  was  simple  and  very 
plastic  and  without  church  buildings  or  continuous 
meeting-places,  the  progress  of  the  gospel  was  swift 
and  surprising.  From  the  records  of  the  martyrdoms 
and  from  the  notes  of  church  life  appearing  in 
letters  which  were  known  to  the  writers  of  the  fourth 
and  fifth  centuries  but  which  have  now  been  lost,  we 
learn  that  the  characteristic  of  the  first  three  centuries 
was  the  universal  witness  of  all  believers  to  their  faith 
in  Christ.     It  was  a  time  when  men  confessed  with 

51 


52  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

their  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus  and  believed  in  their  hearts 
that  God  had  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  were  not 
ashamed.    Household  piety  was  precious  in  those  days. 

Period  o£  Middle  Ages.  In  the  fourth  century, 
when  Christianity  became  the  recognized  religion  of 
the  Roman  Empire,  the  profession  of  faith  in  Christ 
became  easier  and  opportunities  for  preaching  the 
gospel  publicly  to  the  multitudes  who  came  to  churches 
made  private  Christian  testimony  seem  less  important. 
'At  length,  while  there  were  doubtless  many  who  gave 
fine  witness  to  their  personal  faith  in  Christ,  the  tend- 
ency during  the  next  twelve  centuries  was  to  leave 
more  and  more  the  interpretation  of  Christianity  and 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  those  who  were  the 
pastors  of  the  churches.  Here  and  there  through  all 
these  centuries  were  groups  of  devout  people  who  con- 
tinued the  ideals  and  methods  and  point  of  view  of  the 
earlier  days.  But  such  personal  witnessing  was  unpop- 
ular and  at  length  made  peculiar  those  who  gave  it. 

Modern  Special  Evangelists.  The  last  four  cen- 
turies constitute  a  period  in  which  the  gospel  has  been 
preached  chiefly  by  ministers  of  the  churches  and  by 
special  evangelists.  Some  of  the  most  wonderful  relig- 
ious movements  during  this  modern  period  had  their 
beginnings  in  the  preaching  of  great  and  gifted  evan- 
gelists. The  methods  of  work  have  not  been  the  same, 
and  different  groups  of  doctrines  have  been  empha- 
sized by  differing  types  of  men.  The  benefits  how- 
ever have  been  largely  the  same.  Indeed,  it  is  difficult 
to  imagine  what  might  have  been  the  religious  status 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     53 

of  America  had  not  these  evangelistic  leaders  aroused 
the  churches  to  their  spiritual  responsibilities.  Aston- 
ishing results  were  achieved  and  great  multitudes  w^ere 
brought  into  fellov^ship  with  Christ.  Large  numbers 
of  those  who  became  most  influential  as  ministers  and 
Christian  leaders  were  converted  in  periods  of  revivals. 
In  communities  seemingly  indifferent  to  the  claims  of 
Christ  at  the  beginning  of  such  meetings  a  sudden  in- 
terest was  aroused  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and 
the  permanent  results  proved  the  saneness  of  the  meth- 
ods and  the  genuineness  of  the  work.  The  churches 
will  surely  enjoy  in  the  present  century  other  great 
revivals. 

What  May  Men  Expect?  Have  the  forms  of  appeal 
which  brought  spiritual  results  in  the  past  in  certain 
parts  of  the  country  failed  at  last  to  call  the  attention 
of  sinners  to  their  need  of  Christ  and  to  win  large 
numbers  of  converts  as  formerly?  What  form  of 
evangelistic  appeal  is  needed?  This  question  has  been 
asked  with  great  seriousness  and  very  often  in  recent 
years.  Must  we  not  return  to  the  early  practise  of 
personal  work  and  lay  evangelism  of  the  early  cen- 
turies? If  those  early  disciples,  with  so  few  helps, 
could  win  so  many  who  were  unfriendly  to  the 
gospel  into  the  ranks  of  Christians,  how  many  ought 
modern  disciples  to  win  to  the  Christian  profession? 
Will  not  the  success  of  such  personal  work  and  lay 
evangelism  depend  upon  the  clearness  with  which 
men  realize  the  presence  of  Christ  and  rely  upon  his 
help  for  their  daily  life  and  for  inspiration  to  service? 


54  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

The  same  Holy  Spirit  that  imbued  the  early  disciples 
with  power  and  made  their  message  strong  and  true  is 
indicating  to-day  the  possibilities  of  our  churches  when 
their  members  become  imbued  with  the  power  from  on 
high.  The  evangelistic  movements  which  later  in  this 
chapter  will  be  traced  have  been  begun  in  great  meas- 
ure, not  by  professional  evangelists,  but  by  men  who, 
though  often  receiving  their  inspiration  from  these 
evangelists,  have  adopted  new  methods,  have  selected 
new  forms  of  approach  and  new  ways  of  testimony, 
and  have  shown  to  the  churches  what  may  be  accom- 
phshed  when  a  considerable  number  of  their  members 
are  filled  with  evangelistic  fervor. 

If  in  the  first  three  centuries  so  much  could  be 
gained  with  such  simple  organization  and  with  such 
meager  equipment,  what  ought  to  be  the  present  results 
if  the  same  consecration  and  the  same  intense  religious 
testimony  are  shown  in  the  lives  of  present-day  dis- 
ciples? Is  it  possible  that  the  effort  to  care  for  the 
machinery  of  our  modem  churches  saps  the  energies 
of  those  who  must  maintain  the  organizations  and 
leaves  them  little  ambition  to  win  new  disciples  for 
Christ? 

Reaching  Out.  How  may  church  groups  be  formed 
with  efforts  to  reach  the  more  easily  accessible  per- 
sons in  a  community  who  are  regularly  or  occasionally 
present  in  the  church  serv-ices,  but  which  evidently 
do  not  bring  them  to  a  point  of  decision  to  serve 
Christ? 

What  startling   and   unusual   ways   are  there   for 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     55 

reaching  those  who  are  outside  the  regular  parishes  of 
the  churches?  How  may  we  avoid  the  folly  and  loss 
of  spasmodic  and  sporadic  efforts  which  have  been 
made  so  often  in  some  communities  and  from  which 
recovery  has  been  so  painfully  difficult?  How  may 
we  make  a  place  in  the  church  services  for  a  public 
confession  of  faith?  Perhaps  it  is  possible  in  the  more 
formal  communities  to  observe  the  custom  of  some 
of  the  churches  of  aggressive  type,  and  to  invite  all 
who  have  not  already  done  so  to  make  a  public  con- 
fession of  faith  before  the  sei'vice  is  concluded. 

The  Neglected  Zones 

Between-town  Regions.  A  careful  study  of  a  large 
number  of  churches  in  the  towns  and  smaller  cities 
shows  that  there  are  neglected  zones  whose  radius  in 
each  instance  is  from  one  to  three  miles  from  the  meet- 
ing-house. The  social  and  church  life  of  the  commu- 
nity seldom  extends  beyond  this  limit.  An  occasional 
Christian  family  may  drive  to  the  church,  and  the 
coming  of  the  automobile  has  perhaps  made  such  at- 
tendance more  regular,  while  it  may  have  tempted 
still  others  who  live  nearer  the  church  to  become  less 
even  in  church  attendance.  Between  the  three-mile 
limit,  however,  and  the  same  point  of  the  next  town 
or  city,  there  is  frequently  a  large  stretch  of  territory 
that,  in  the  more  thickly  settled  portions  of  the  country, 
is  filled  by  a  farming  or  sometimes  manufacturing, 
population  which  receives  slight  spiritual  attention. 

A  Minister  Who  Explored.    A  minister  in  one  such 


56  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

community,  after  making  a  card  catalog  list  of  his 
church  and  faithfully  calling  upon  each  family  and 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  children's  parents  and 
all  the  members  of  both  church  and  Sunday-school, 
determined  to  see  for  himself  what  was  the  spiritual 
destitution  of  the  people  outside  the  limits  of  the  town, 
Anned  with  a  map  of  the  roads  he  started  and  for  sev- 
eral weeks  explored  the  territory,  sometimes  walking 
twenty  miles  a  day  and  calling  at  every  home.  He  was 
always  well  received,  but  was  amazed  to  find  that  he 
was  the  first  minister  that  had  undertaken  this  kind  of 
work  within  the  memory  of  the  persons  who  gladly 
talked  with  him  about  their  religious  needs.  They 
■told  him  that  an  occasional  Bible  agent  had  called  upon 
them,  but  that  the  sermons  they  had  heard  had  been 
those  delivered  on  funeral  occasions.  One  farmer, 
well  educated,  living  about  twelve  miles  from  the 
village,  said  that  the  prayer  that  this  minister  offered 
in  his  home  was  the  first  that  had  been  spoken  under 
his  roof  for  seventeen  years.  The  former  prayer  had 
been  at  his  mother's  funeral.  It  turned  out  that  this 
man  was  religiously  trained  by  a  Christian  mother 
who  had  long  been  an  invalid  and  whose  light  was 
kept  burning  brightly  in  her  home.  As  best  she  could 
this  lonely  soul  had  tried  to  give  instruction  to  her 
children.  They  had  drifted  out  into  the  world,  and 
only  one  son  remained.  His  mother  had  died  at  a 
great  age,  and  he,  well  advanced  in  life,  welcomed  the 
man  of  God  over  the  threshold  to  his  lonely  home. 
How  Two  Churches  Acted.    The  entire  country  was 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSx\GE     57 

Studied  and  visited  again  and  again.  Meetings  were 
held  in  every  convenient  place.  Many  were  led  to  be- 
lieve in  Christ  and  made  a  good  confession  of  faith. 
Religious  conversations  were  held  with  practically 
every  one  in  all  that  area,  and  then  a  most  strange  and 
sorrowful  thing  happened.  The  pastor  was  a  brilliant 
preacher  and  generally  spent  his  mornings  in  his  study. 
He  did  not  neglect  his  narrow  parish  work,  but  his 
interest  in  the  surrounding  country  was  so  keen  and 
strong  and  he  urged  his  people  so  constantly  to  join 
him  in  this  wider  ministry  that  they  became  suspicious 
that  he  was  not  caring  as  much  as  he  ought  for  the 
one  hundred  or  more  families  who  called  him  pastor. 
It  was  an  ill-founded  suspicion,  but  it  led  to  his  resig- 
nation. He  was  at  once  called  however  to  another 
strong  church  that  welcomed  such  outside  service  and 
was  proud  of  their  pastor  for  doing  it  so  well. 

In  the  second  church,  which  was  his  last  pas- 
torate, he  became  the  most  familiar  figure  in  all  the 
rural  regions  round  about.  He  knew  every  child, 
every  parent,  and  was  the  trusted  adviser  of  many  and 
the  friend  of  all.  In  the  parish  where  outside  service 
was  not  acceptable  to  the  church  he  could  not  persuade 
other  pastors  in  the  town  to  join  him  in  his  work 
among  the  valleys  and  the  hills.  In  the  second  parish 
the  pastor  of  another  church  encouraged  him  in  his 
work,  and,  while  he  himself  was  too  advanced  in  age 
to  make  long  journeys  into  the  country,  cooperated 
with  him  in  every  way  and  toiled  with  him  for  a  com- 
mon result. 


58  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

What  Happened  to  Two  Churches  in   One   City. 

They  belonged  to  the  same  denomination,  with  well- 
defined  parishes.  Many  members  of  the  first  church 
were  rich;  the  second  church  had  no  one  who  was 
wealthy.  The  first  church  insisted  that  its  pastor 
should  confine  his  attention  to  his  parish  and  judged 
his  ministry  by  the  classic  and  wonderful  sermons 
which  he  preached.  This  church  was  benevolent,  but 
in  its  extension  work  was  self-centered.  It  was  the 
leader  of  the  two,  and  had  every  advantage  in  wealth, 
social  standing,  members,  and  equipment.  Its  pastors 
were  godly  and  faithful  men,  but  felt  hampered  by 
their  limitations. 

The  second  church  was  united  as  was  the  first,  but 
found  it  difficult  to  meet  expenses  and  built  a  new 
meeting-house  with  the  greatest  sacrifice.  Many  years 
were  required  before  all  indebtedness  was  removed, 
but  during  all  this  time  the  church  realized  its  obliga- 
tion to  the  neglected  zones  about  the  city  which  was 
the  center  for  a  large  farming  population  and  rural 
trade.  The  pastor  of  the  first  church  stayed  at  home 
and  attended  to  his  parish  work.  The  pastor  of  the 
second  church,  without  neglecting  his  parish  work  or 
his  pulpit  preparation,  explored  the  villages  beyond^ 
and  in  the  course  of  twenty  years  became  well  known 
in  all  the  region  within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles. 

He  held  evangelistic  meetings,  conducted  funerals, 
attended  weddings,  made  addresses  on  rural  festival 
occasions,  and  was  the  best  known  man  in  that  part 
of  the  world.     He  was  probably  known  by  name  to 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     59 

several  thousand  people  outside  of  the  large  numbers 
who  knew  him  in  the  city.  His  home  community  was 
situated  favorably  for  the  outside  work,  for  the  rail- 
road stretched  off  into  an  undeveloped  portion  of  the 
state  where  the  inhabitants  were  few  and  evenly  scat- 
tered.   All  this  territory  he  explored  and  mapped. 

What  was  the  result?  Aside  from  the  spiritual  re- 
sults of  his  noble  service,  as  his  city  was  the  business 
center  of  a  large  area,  people  in  the  surrounding  vil- 
lages and  towns  were  constantly  moving  toward  the 
center  of  population.  In  the  city  they  recognized  the 
pastor  of  this  second  church,  who  had  been  their  friend 
and  had  perhaps  been  with  them  in  times  of  sorrow 
and  of  joy,  and  whom  they  had  heard  preach  in  school- 
houses  and  in  their  homes,  and  naturally  drifted  into 
his  congregation.  He  therefore  found  his  audiences 
constantly  growing,  recruited  very  largely  from  the 
persons  who  were  making  their  new  homes  in  his  par- 
ish. His  wider  parish  and  the  personal  touch  which 
he  had  had  with  them  in  the  country  made  him  their 
friend  and  protector  and  spiritual  adviser  in  their  new 
abodes. 

The  stream  of  members  into  that  church  flowed  con- 
stantly. Some  of  these  industrious,  ambitious  people 
became  successful  merchants  in  the  city  and  are  now 
the  leaders  in  the  second  church,  which  is  strong  and 
prosperous.  Meanwhile  the  first  church,  self-con- 
tained, conservative,  with  shortened  outreach,  has  lost 
nearly  all  its  wealthy  members  and  finds  life  a  strug- 
gle.    Its  congregations  have  dwindled,  its  aggressive 


60  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

leaders  have  become  few,  and,  although  the  city  has 
grown  in  population  with  the  years,  there  have  been 
seasons  when  some  of  its  members  advocated  the  union 
of  the  two  churches.  How  many  times  may  not  this 
same  situation  have  been  repeated  in  the  history  of  our 
land? 

How  a  Church  Was  Saved.  In  a  city  of  about 
forty  thousand  souls  a  church  with  excellent  parish 
room  had  never  prospered.  It  lived  unto  itself,  and  a 
few  families  attended  its  services.  It  never  reached 
out  into  the  community.  It  seemed  in  danger  of  death 
from  inactivity.  It  almost  forgot  the  meaning  of 
Christian  hospitality.  Its  relations  with  churches  of 
other  denominations  were  friendly,  and  there  was  an 
abundance  of  work  for  all  to  do.  Able  preachers  be- 
came discouraged  and  left  for  more  promising  fields. 
At  length,  when  the  tides  of  congregations  and  interest 
were  very  low,  a  new  pastor  was  called  and  raised  the 
standard  of  evangelism.  It  was  not  the  kind  of  evan- 
gelism with  which  the  people  had  become  familiar.  His 
sermons  were  not  often  evangelistic  in  tone,  but  he 
selected  three  men  who  gave  promise  of  evangelistic 
zeal,  and  on  every  occasion  possible  took  them  with 
him  into  the  surrounding  villages  and  spiritually  neg- 
lected communities.  At  first  he  did  not  ask  these  mem- 
bers of  his  church  to  speak,  but  it  was  not  many  weeks 
before  they  were  carried  away  with  their  profound 
interest  and  enthusiasm,  and  all  three  men  developed 
unexpected  talents. 

Soon  the  pastor  encouraged  his  brethren  to  go  with- 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     61 

out  him  occasionally,  until  at  length  the  burden  of  the 
meetings  and  the  speaking  fell  almost  entirely  upon 
them.  Two  of  these  three  men  developed  such  unus- 
ual preaching  ability  that  they  were  heard  with  accept- 
ance on  Sunday  evenings  in  the  home  church,  when  the 
pastor  was  called  to  assist  a  neighboring  minister. 
Strange  things  happen  in  a  church.  No  one  can  ex- 
plain just  why  the  new  prosperity  came,  or  how  the 
congregation  increased,  and  the  church  attracted  many 
strangers,  and  grew  in  financial  ability  and  in  member- 
ship. All  these  things  occurred,  however,  and  the 
growth  has  been  pennanent.  The  three  pastoral  help- 
ers prospered  in  business,  exerted  a  wide  influence  in 
the  surrounding  regions,  and  became  towers  of  spirit- 
ual strength  in  their  church.  Since  that  pastorate  the 
congregation  has  established  a  mission  in  the  city  which 
is  well  manned  and  is  itself  the  center  of  evangelistic 
zeal  and  large  spiritual  fruitage. 

A  Logical  Layman.  In  a  community  numbering 
about  three  thousand,  the  center  of  a  wide  rural  region, 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  revivals,  conducted  entirely 
by  laymen,  occurred  some  years  ago  in  Maine.  The 
town  had  two  churches,  but  a  large  number  of  the 
people  were  members  of  other  congregations  across  the 
river  in  a  neighboring  city.  A  business  man  one  eve- 
ning was  told  by  a  friend  that  the  Odd-Fellows'  Lodge 
had  secured  over  fifty  new  members.  The  information 
was  accompanied  with  the  suggestion  that  another  fra- 
ternal organization,  of  which  both  men  were  members, 
should  try  to  do  as  well  or  better  in  enlarging  its  num- 


62  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

bers.  Careful  plans  were  laid  and  success  was 
achieved. 

A  little  later  it  suddenly  occurred  to  the  prominent 
member  of  the  church  that  a  fraternal  organization 
ought  not  to  be  more  successful  than  the  church  in  se- 
curing new  members.  He  prayed  over  the  subject,  and 
about  a  week  later  spoke  to  one  of  the  most  aggressive 
young  men  of  the  congregation,  who  was  not,  indeed, 
a  very  active  Christian.  The  young  man  however 
responded  very  quickly  to  his  friend's  suggestion,  and 
both  of  them  met  for  conference  and  prayer.  When 
they  had  outlined  a  simple  plan  of  action,  they  spoke  to 
a  third  man,  who  was  prospering  in  business  and  had 
strong  initiative  but  who  was  lukewarm  in  his  interest 
in  the  church.  To  their  surprise  the  business  man 
kindled  with  a  strange  enthusiasm.  After  a  few  meet- 
ings for  prayer  the  three  determined  companions  laid 
their  plan  before  their  pastor,  who  boldly  assured 
them  that  the  community,  in  his  opinion,  was  about  to 
witness  a  wonderful  revival. 

A  simple  announcement  the  next  Sunday  morning 
was  made  by  the  minister  that  there  would  be  a  serv- 
ice of  prayer  the  following  Thursday  evening,  and  that 
men  only  were  invited  to  be  present.  The  attendance 
was  not  large,  but  an  organization  was  effected,  and 
the  week  following  the  room  was  full  of  eager,  serious 
men.  Conversions  occurred  on  the  second  evening. 
One  of  the  first  who  confessed  his  faith  in  Christ 
was  a  man  who  was  known  in  the  town  as  a  shiftless, 
intemperate  fellow.    Some  feared  that  the  work  would 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     63 

be  injured  by  the  announcement  that  this  man  had  be- 
come a  Christian.  In  order  that  he  might  be  cared  for, 
however,  a  committee  was  appointed,  and  each  man 
served  as  a  big  brother  to  the  new  convert.  He  was 
a  skilled  workman,  and  it  was  believed  that  his  great 
temptation  would  come  before  breakfast,  at  the  noon 
hour,  and  after  work  at  the  close  of  the  day.  During 
these  three  periods,  without  his  knowledge,  some  one 
watched  his  movements.  Arrangements  were  made 
with  his  wife  that  a  cloth  in  the  window  would  mean  a 
signal  of  distress. 

One  day,  soon  after  twelve  o'clock,  when  he  re- 
turned home,  the  cloth  was  put  in  the  window.  Two 
men  were  watching  the  house  at  that  moment.  Temp- 
tation had  suddenly  asserted  itself  in  the  poor  man's 
thirst  for  liquor.  Yielding  to  a  moment  of  weakness, 
he  ran  out  of  the  house,  unseen  by  his  wife,  who  in  a 
moment  discovered  his  absence  and  hung  up  the  signal 
of  distress.  The  poor  man,  almost  crazed  by  his  de- 
sire for  drink,  on  leaving  his  home,  ran  across  the 
garden  through  the  field  to  the  river  bank,  seized  an 
oar  with  which  he  sculled  himself  across  the  river. 
Abandoning  the  boat  he  crossed  a  railroad  track, 
climbed  an  embankment,  and  as  he  was  leaping  over  a 
high  board  fence,  jumped  into  the  anns  of  two  of 
his  friends,  and  surrendered  with  the  words : 

"If  you  love  me  as  much  as  that,  you  can  take  me 
home !" 

Meetings  were  not  multiplied,  but  every  week  new 
converts   were    reported    and    frequent   neighborhood 


64  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

services  were  held.  The  work  spread  quietly  through 
the  town,  out  into  the  suburbs,  and  to  the  open  country. 
Sunday  afternoon  services  conducted  by  these  men 
and  their  friends  who  followed  them  in  large  numbers 
attracted  great  companies  of  people,  who  drove  from 
long  distances  to  witness  these  revival  scenes.  Those 
who  came  to  scoff  remained  to  pray.  There  was  little 
excitement  and  very  little  preaching.  The  program 
was  simple,  with  prayer  and  Scripture  reading,  and 
was  generally  led  by  recent  converts,  who  after  giving 
their  own  testimony  asked  the  people  to  speak.  Nearly 
two  hundred  came  into  fellowship  with  the  little 
church,  which  entered  a  new  era  of  prosperity.  Many 
converts  joined  other  churches,  and  a  high  spiritual 
level  of  life  was  reached  which  was  reflected  in  com- 
munity improvement  in  many  ways. 

A  Force  of  Kansas  Laymen.  After  a  great  revival, 
which  reached  deeply  into  the  social  and  business  life 
of  the  city  of  Wichita,  Kansas,  gospel  teams  were 
formed  for  lay  evangelism.  On  Sunday  afternoon, 
January  21,  1912,  at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, five  men  professed  conversion.  That  night 
the  meeting  was  transferred  to  a  church,  and  soon 
after  bands  of  laymen  conducted  services  in  various 
parts  of  the  community  and  in  other  places  where  they 
had  invitations  to  work.  Among  those  who  banded 
themselves  together  for  evangelistic  work  were  lawyers, 
physicians,  barbers,  carpenters,  merchants,  real  estate 
dealers,  railroad  men,  teachers,  bankers,  editors  and 
reporters,    ex-prize-fighters,    lumbermen,    commercial 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     65 

travelers,  manufacturers,  coal  buyers,  blacksmiths, 
printers,  association  secretaries,  postal  men,  seed 
sellers,  musicians,  college  students,  bookkeepers,  coal 
heavers,  insurance  agents,  restaurant  keepers,  and 
laundry  men.  Rich  and  poor  took  upon  themselves  the 
common  task;  the  learned  and  the  ignorant  joined 
forces  for  aggressive  Christian  v^ork. 

Astonishing  results  are  recorded.^  A  published  re- 
port shows  that  two  hundred  and  twenty-nine  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  city  of  Wichita,  with  eight  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  professed  conversions.  Outside 
of  the  city  the  teams  held  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  meetings,  where  two  thousand  four  hundred  and 
nine  persons  inquired  their  way  to  Christ.  The  work 
is  on  a  permanent  basis. 

On  the  Edge  of  the  Forest.  Several  years  ago  a 
president  of  Colby  College  passed  a  Sunday  at  Old- 
town,  Maine,  to  assist  the  pastor,  who  was  absent,  in 
evangelistic  work.  This  church  had  recently  been 
reaching  out  in  several  directions.  The  pastor  encour- 
aged a  group  of  business  men  in  the  parish  to  estab- 
lish Sunday-schools  from  ten  to  twenty  miles  distant. 
They  were  greatly  needed,  for  Oldtown  was  the  last 
community  to  the  north  in  that  part  of  the  state,  and 
only  scattered  villages  were  found  along  the  railroad 
and  near  the  lumber  camps.  This  church  enlarged  its 
borders,  and,  through  its  laymen  assisted  by  its  pastor, 
covered  the  region  in  a  most  fruitful  way. 

^Information  concerning  the  work  can  be  gained  by  addressing 
the  Church  Federation,  Beacon  Building,  Wichita,  Kansas. 


66  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

On  the  Sunday  of  the  visit  three  teams  of  these 
workers  were  busy  with  their  tasks.  One  of  these, 
consisting  of  two  men,  invited  the  visitor  to  go  with 
them.  Twenty  minutes  after  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced, having  eaten  dinner,  he  found  himself  in  a 
sleigh  drawn  by  two  horses,  driven  by  a  leading  mer- 
chant of  the  community.  As  they  were  leaving  the  edge 
of  the  town,  a  second  man  stowed  himself  away  in  the 
furs  and,  with  the  temperature  much  below  zero,  the 
ride  of  ten  miles  was  begun.  A  half  hour  later,  the 
driver  stopped  the  horses  and  quietly  said :  "About 
here  we  stop  for  a  moment  of  prayer."  All  three  men 
prayed  briefly,  and  then  they  silently  drove  on.  Very 
little  was  said.  When  they  reached  the  schoolhouse, 
where  the  meeting  was  to  be  held,  they  found  that  the 
congregation  had  gone  to  a  neighboring  house  where 
the  preacher  was  asked  to  offer  the  prayer  at  a  funeral. 
The  funeral  procession  then  proceeded  to  the  school- 
house,  and  he  was  asked  to  conduct  the  service  and 
preach  a  sermon. 

At  the  conclusion,  nearly  every  one  left  the  house 
and  repaired  to  the  cemetery,  a  half  mile  distant.  But 
the  minister  was  asked  by  one  of  the  chief  mourners 
to  postpone  his  return  to  Oldtown,  if  possible,  until 
they  should  all  return  to  the  schoolhouse  again,  where 
they  hoped  he  would  preach  another  sermon.  A  half 
hour  later  the  second  service  was  held,  and,  after  a 
simple,  evangelistic  presentation,  three  men  expressed 
their  determination  to  begin  the  Christian  life.  The 
return  to  Oldtown  was  made  at  a  rapid  pace,   and 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     67 

mostly  in  silence.  The  company  reached  the  church 
twenty  minutes  before  the  preaching  service.  A  simple 
luncheon  was  prepared  for  them,  and  they  were  soon 
in  the  auditorium  crowded  with  an  eager  congrega- 
tion. It  seemed  to  the  visitor  that  the  hearts  of  the 
people  reflected  the  deep  and  profound  spirit  of  the 
leading  laymen  in  that  church,  with  two  of  whom  he 
had  served  in  the  gospel  that  afternoon,  while  others 
had  been  busy  with  their  more  distant  engagements 
and  returned  later  to  their  homes.  That  evening,  in 
response  to  an  appeal  which  had  been  suggested,  still 
other  inquirers  made  their  way  into  the  kingdom  of 
God. 

A  Leaf  in  a  Note  Book.  While  conversing  with  a 
superintendent  of  missions  at  Pittsburgh,  Pennsyl- 
vania, a  friend  asked  him  if  he  had  one  or  more  de- 
voted laymen  who  could  be  asked  suddenly  to  conduct 
meetings  in  the  vacant  churches,  and  especially  in  rural 
communities.  He  looked  up  in  surprise,  and  then  drew 
from  his  pocket  a  note-book  containing  the  names  of 
twenty-six  men,  with  their  addresses  and  telephone 
numbers.  Reading  these  names  over,  he  stopped  to 
say  that  one  was  a  merchant,  another  a  teacher,  another 
a  labor  leader,  and  a  fourth  the  superintendent  of  one 
of  the  great  industries  of  the  city.  He  did  not  stop 
until  he  had  described  each  one  of  the  twenty-six  men, 
and  all  of  these  were  more  or  less  prominent  in  the 
social,  civic,  and  commercial  life  of  the  community. 

He  then  declared  that,  although  these  twentj^-six 
men  were  loaded  with  great  responsibilities,  he  could 


68  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

rely  upon  each  one  of  them  to  conduct  the  service  in 
any  sudden  emergency  and  to  preach  in  pulpits  of 
large  or  small  churches  as  he  might  indicate.  He 
seldom  called  on  any  one  more  than  once  a  week,  but 
felt  at  liberty  to  do  so,  however,  if  the  need  was 
urgent.  Each  was  able  to  present  the  gospel  in  a  force- 
ful, direct,  and  effective  manner,  and  to  explain  to  an 
inquirer  the  way  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  Sunday 
evenings  frequently  found  several  of  these  men  in 
vacant  pulpits,  which  they  were  able  to  supply  with 
acceptance  to  the  people,  often  outside  of  the  city  limits 
where  they  might  easily  go  by  railway,  trolley-car,  or 
automobile.  The  expenses  were  usually  met  by  the 
men  themselves,  and  when  churches  insisted  on  paying 
for  the  services  or  when  collections  were  taken,  such 
contributions  were  passed  to  the  superintendent  for  his 
missionary  work.  Great  good  is  accomplished  by  these 
men,  and  their  service  for  others  has  widened  their 
own  lives  and  developed  gifts  that  had  long  been  latent. 
Their  experience  and  spiritual  harvests  surely  point 
the  way  to  what  other  groups  of  men,  under  proper 
encouragement  and  leadership,  could  do  in  every  city, 
town,  or  rural  community  in  the  land. 

Let  Lay  Evangelism  Spread.  In  many  colleges 
Christian  students  are  conducting  meetings  in  needy 
fields,  with  constant  revivals  and  conversions.  Why 
should  not  every  college  group  of  Christians  undertake 
this  work?  Was  there  anything  exceptional  in  any 
one  of  the  several  cases  mentioned  in  this  chapter, 
where  laymen  did  evangelistic  work  with  splendid  re- 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     69 

suits  to  themselves  and  with  rich  blessings  to  others? 
Was  not  the  work  accomplished  in  communities  of  dif- 
ferent size,  temperament,  and  traditions?  Is  anything 
needed  but  consecration,  intelligent  zeal,  holy  enthusi- 
asm, and  a  passion  for  the  conversion  of  men  ? 

Should  not  a  work  like  this  be  established  in  every 
church,  and  reach  out  beyond  the  usual  limits  of  its 
parish?  Is  there  any  reason  why,  under  suitable  lead- 
ership, such  a  group  of  Christian  workers  could  not 
begin  their  evangelistic  endeavors  in  any  church  and 
community?  Are  we  not  told  to  go  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  hedges  and  to  compel  men  to  come  in  ?  Have 
we  not  too  long  expected  such  work  to  be  done  by  min- 
isters and  professional  evangelists? 

Would  it  not  be  well  to  return  to  the  method  of  the 
early  Church,  when,  so  far  as  we  can  judge,  every  one 
was  expected  to  win  converts  to  Christ?  In  arranging 
for  such  work  would  it  not  be  well  to  have  the  pastor 
indicate  certain  lines  of  thought  that  might  be  pre- 
sented, and  .give  instruction  to  the  special  workers  in 
ways  of  leading  inquirers  to  Christ  and  making  them 
feel  that  the  blessings  of  the  Lord  are  for  them  and 
for  their  families  ? 

Did  the  pastor  of  a  city  church  act  wisely  in  discour- 
aging a  group  of  ten  of  his  leading  laymen,  whose 
hearts  were  burning  with  the  desire  to  bring  souls  to 
Christ  in  the  surrounding  rural  community,  when  he 
told  them  that  he  needed  them  all  in  his  evening  con- 
gregation to  help  make  a  congregation  that  was  far  too 
small?     What  might  have  been  accomplished  had  he 


70  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

not  discouraged  these  men,  who  felt  it  unwise  to  enter 
upon  this  work  if  their  minister  opposed  such  evangel- 
istic endeavors?  Is  not  evangelism,  and  especially  lay 
evangelism,  the  crying  need  of  America  to-day  ?  Would 
not  its  widespread  activities  go  far  to  accomplish  the 
spiritual  results  for  which  the  century  is  waiting  as  a 
fresh  demonstration  of  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion, to  save  unto  the  uttermost  all  ranks  and  condi- 
tions of  men? 

Home  Training.  The  churches  ought  not  to  be 
asked  to  do  what  Christian  homes  should  constantly 
accomplish.  One  mother  who  is  very  active  in  her 
church  always  excuses  herself  from  all  afternoon  en- 
gagements in  time  to  meet  her  children  at  five  o'clock. 
She  spends  with  them  the  hour  from  five  to  six  each 
day  in  reading  and  in  talks  about  the  Bible  and  noble 
men  and  women.  In  this  period  more  than  one  set  of 
spiritual  questions  have  been  asked  and  their  answers 
committed  to  memory.  The  father  passes  a  half  hour 
at  least  each  evening  in  reading  to  his  boys  and  girls 
from  a  Child's  Story  of  the  Bible.  These  periods  are 
prized  by  parents  and  children  alike.  Saturday  after- 
noon is  usually  spent  in  outdoor  games,  but  the  relig- 
ious instruction  is  regarded  as  normal  as  the  relaxa- 
tion of  their  pleasures.  These  parents  are  laying  a 
deep  foundation  for  Christian  living  in  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  their  children. 

In  this  city  another  family  that  resides  on  the 
same  street  leaves  the  religious  instruction  of  the  chil- 
dren to  the  church  and  Sunday-school.     Where  Sun- 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     71 

day  impressions  of  religious  truth  are  strengthened  by 
home  instruction,  the  child  has  a  double  set  of  influ- 
ences through  which  the  forces  of  evil  seldom  break. 
What  wonder  is  it  that  from  such  homes  have  come 
the  most  devout  and  gifted  Christian  leaders  the  world 
has  ever  seen! 

The  Sunday  School  Helps  Also.  In  Massachusetts 
a  minister  has  developed  the  educational  function  of  the 
Sunday-school  to  an  unusual  degree.  He  asks  each 
teacher  to  submit  to  himself  the  following  questions: 
"Am  I  teaching  Christ  when  I  teach  the  lesson?"  "Is 
my  hfe  his  message?"  "Do  I  really  know  him?" 
"Have  I  a  place  where  I  meet  him  often  and  talk  with 
him  about  the  boys  or  girls  in  my  class?"  "Do  I  plead 
with  him  that  he  will  let  me  bring  him  to  them?"  "Do 
I  know  him  well  enough  for  this?"  "Have  I  in  mind 
a  list  of  the  good  points  in  each  boy  or  girl  and  the  bad 
points  also?"  Frequently  at  the  close  of  the  Sunday- 
school  committee  meeting  a  brief  consecration  service  is 
held. 

In  December  they  plan  for  Decision  Day.  The 
superintendent  and  pastor  are  appointed  a  committee 
on  evangelism,  and  decide  that  no  undue  advantage 
shall  be  taken  of  the  deep  emotional  nature  in  the  child's 
life.  The  date  for  Decision  Day  is  determined  three 
months  in  advance,  and  the  lessons  are  taught  with 
this  in  view.  The  pastor  confers  with  each  teacher 
separately,  sometimes  with  two  teachers  in  the  same 
department.  Each  child  is  studied,  his  home  life  is 
reviewed,  the  characteristics  of  his  age  are  taken  into 


72  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

account,  and  the  teacher  is  told  how  the  points  in  the 
lessons  may  be  brought  out  in  order  that  they  may  point 
to  Decision  Day.  Before  this  time  arrives  the  members 
of  the  class  are  brought  together  at  the  teacher's  home 
and  a  frank  talk  on  life  is  given  and  the  claims  of 
Christ  upon  each  one  are  clearly  stated. 

When  Decision  Day  arrived  each  teacher  was 
anxious  but  calm,  and  in  the  room  there  was  an  atmos- 
phere of  persuasion  born  of  months  of  prayer  and 
careful  teaching.  The  pastor  made  a  few  remarks, 
the  session  became  more  quiet  and  earnest  than  usual 
and  was  free  from  all  frivolity.  Then  the  teachers  met 
their  classes  and  in  the  time  that  had  been  carefully 
reserved  for  them  went  over  the  ground  and  made  a 
straightforward,  earnest  appeal  to  their  scholars  and 
asked  them  what  they  had  decided.  The  decisions  were 
registered  on  cards  with  which  the  teachers  were  pro- 
vided. The  school  was  re-assembled  and  two  young 
men  spoke  briefly  on  the  importance  of  being  "out  and 
out"  for  Christ.  After  this  the  pastor  asked  all  who 
had  registered  their  decisions  to  stand,  and  this  included 
those  who  were  already  Christians.  The  opportunity 
was  held  open  a  moment  for  any  one  who  hesitated. 
One  after  another  by  invitation  answered  the  pastor's 
question  about  loyalty  to  Christ  with  the  words,  "I 
will,  I  will."  The  follow-up  work  was  carefully  done 
by  the  pastor,  teachers  and  superintendent.  The  lessons 
continued  evangelistic  in  tone,  and  the  work  gave  evi- 
dence of  permanence. 

A  skilful  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  makes  the 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     73 

class  eager  for  service.  One  teacher  suggested  in  one 
year  that  members  of  the  class  read  to  the  sick  in  hos- 
pitals, visit  the  aged  and  the  infirm  w^ho  were  shut  in 
their  homes,  and  speak  about  a  personal  religious  life 
to  their  friends  in  the  school  or  in  the  store.  Instruc- 
tion in  service  supplemented  the  instruction  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  results  w^ere  wonderful. 

One  Sunday-school  teacher  who  worked  in  a  room 
where  profanity  was  prevalent  had  a  Bible  verse 
printed  in  large  letters,  framed  the  lines  and  placed 
them  above  his  head.  One  after  another  passed  by  and 
read  the  words,  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  vain,  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  hin; 
guiltless  that  taketh  his  name  in  vain." 

On  one  occasion  the  superintendent  of  the  factory 
entered  the  room  in  a  rage  to  lay  the  blame  for  a  mis- 
take which  afterwards  proved  unjust  on  the  Christian 
above  whose  desk  the  Bible  verse  was  fastened.  Be- 
tween his  oaths  he  glanced  up,  read  the  words,  and 
suddenly  left  the  room.  This  experience  led  to  the 
man's  notable  conversion.  This  happened  in  a  large 
shoe  factory  in  Massachusetts.  Instruction  that  can 
be  put  into  practise  is  doubly  effective. 

Young  People's  Work.  Much  teaching  begins  in 
quiet  Christian  culture  that  ends  in  personal  labor  for 
attracting  other  souls  to  Christ.  The  young  people's 
societies  have  led  thousands  of  young  people  who  have 
enjoyed  the  Christian  nurture  of  pastors  and  devout 
parents  and  teachers  into  the  life  of  conscious  devo- 
tion to  the  Savior,  and  have  established  them  in  active 


74  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

spiritual  lives.  Speaking  in  the  smaller  meetings  has 
led  to  testimony  at  the  church  service  and  to  a  wider 
work.  A  group  of  such  young  people  thus  led  into  the 
Christian  life  and  trained,  branched  out  into  a  mission 
work  three  miles  from  their  church  and  by  simply 
conducted  services  in  a  schoolhouse  began  a  spiritual 
movement  whose  benefits  have  proved  permanent. 

United  Influence.  When  the  church,  the  home,  the 
Sunday-school,  and  the  young  people's  society  each 
contributes  its  share  of  Christian  training,  the  ideal 
conditions  are  present  that  produce  efficient  personal 
workers.  Against  this  inspiration  of  the  church,  this 
nurture  of  the  home,  this  instruction  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  this  training  of  the  young  people's  societies, 
the  forces  of  evil  will  not  prevail. 

What  Must  the  Message  Be? 

The  Note  of  Assurance.  Whether  the  evangelist  is 
one  who  gives  his  entire  time  to  the  ministry  of  relig- 
ion or  who,  absorbed  with  the  business  of  life,  yet 
finds  much  opportunity  for  special  Christian  work,  the 
message  which  he  brings  must  always  contain  the 
assurance  of  personal  salvation.  One  who  has  an 
acquaintance  with  Christ  can  introduce  others  to  the 
Lord.  One  must  know  him  whom  he  has  believed. 
It  is  not  the  man  who  guesses  or  who  is  uncertain  that 
can  give  to  an  unbeliever  a  statement  throbbing  witli 
the  power  of  conviction. 

The  Note  of  Christian  Truth.  The  message  must 
assert  at  least  the  foundation  doctrines  of  Christianity. 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     75 

Men  may  not  agree  fully  as  to  what  these  are,  and  may 
differ  still  more  as  to  their  statement,  but  the  need  of 
a  man  who  is  not  a  Christian  must  be  realized,  and  the 
announcement  must  be  brought  to  him  in  a  way  that 
will  command  his  attention.  It  must  be  a  message,  not 
weak  and  wavering,  but  strong  and  soulful.  To  state 
these  doctrines  in  terms  of  modern  life  and  daily 
speech  is  difficult  but  not  impossible.  The  message 
must  show  that  man's  distant  and  present  needs  are 
met  by  the  gospel.  To  prepare  for  the  future  is  what 
men  are  doing  in  business,  in  education,  in  farming, 
and  in  every  other  activity  of  life.  Laying  up  for 
future  need  is  a  natural  instinct  in  the  lower  animals, 
and  in  man  it  is  a  divine  suggestion.  As  school  days 
make  boys  and  girls  ready  for  the  toil  of  later  life, 
Christ  prepares  us  for  the  long  future  and  for  the 
work  of  another  world.  Do  we  not  warn  the  youth 
of  our  land  against  evil  habits  and  the  follies  of  igno- 
rance that  bring  disaster  in  later  years?  Can  it  then 
be  weakness  to  warn  all  whom  we  know  against  the 
sins  that  injure  and  derange  the  soul?  Shall  we  not 
help  to  remove  that  deeper  ignorance  which  destroys 
the  spiritual  life  here  and  forever? 

Correcting  AH  Life.  The  message  will  show  that 
salvation  is  for  every  department  of  man's  life.  His 
heart  must  have  no  bulkhead  arrangements.  His  life 
must  be  consistent  in  each  part  or  it  will  be  incon- 
sistent in  every  part.  It  must  be  clearly  shown  that 
Christianity  does  not  do  a  surface  work  in  a  man's 
life.     It  does  not  paint  the  rotten  ship  nor  whitewash 


76  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

the  ruined  wall.  It  does  not  make  the  architecture  of 
the  exterior  of  the  life  structure  beautiful  and  leave 
the  interior  ugly  and  forbidding.  It  does  not  wash  a 
man's  life  in  spots.  Though  his  sins  "be  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though  they  be  red  like 
crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  A  sufficient  statement 
of  Christ's  claims  upon  human  hearts  will  show  that 
discipleship  is  a  lamp  of  cheer  that  makes  plain  to 
each  one  who  loves  the  Lord  how  he  may  serve  him 
consistently  in  business  and  in  professional  life.  It 
does  not  make  a  man  righteous  on  one  day  of  the 
week  and  morally  careless  during  the  next  six  days. 
It  not  only  teaches  him  to  worship  but  to  work.  The 
hands  that  are  clean  must  lift.  The  eye  that  has  been 
made  to  see  must  correct  everything  in  human  life  that 
is  out  of  proportion.  The  feet  that  are  shod  with  the 
preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace  must  wear  paths  of 
righteousness  in  the  commercial  and  social  world  as 
well  as  walk  in  ancient  ways  of  private  piety.  The 
light  that  shines  in  the  human  soul  must  shine  in  eveiy 
dark  corner,  making  sin  hide  its  face  and  sinners  see 
its  enormity.  The  message  must  emphasize  social 
justice,  for  if  any  Christian  allows  a  wrong  which  he 
can  right  to  go  unrighted,  and  does  not  throw  the 
weight  of  his  words  and  example  on  the  side  of  fair 
dealing,  he  thereby  is  weighed  in  the  balances  and 
found  wanting.  If  a  man  has  not  made  restitution 
for  wrong,  his  lips  cannot  bring  a  message  of  peace 
to  the  one  whose  peace  of  mind  has  been  destroyed  by 
his  unjust  act.     The  message  also  must  reach  out  into 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  METHOD  AND  MESSAGE     77 

the  community  and  take  for  granted  that  Christian 
people  will  unite  everywhere  and  always  against  every 
foe  of  society,  in  the  suppression  of  vice,  in  the  clos- 
ing of  the  saloons,  and  in  removing  every  pitfall  to  sin. 

The  Simplicity  of  the  Gospel 

Fitted  for  All.  A  remarkable  fact  about  the  mes- 
sage of  Christ  is  that  it  can  be  stated  in  the  simplest 
words  of  the  language.  How  much  of  his  thought 
Jesus  put  into  terms  of  love,  life,  liberty,  bread,  water, 
friendship,  purity,  righteousness,  peace,  joy,  patience, 
repentance,  forgiveness,  work,  prayer!  Nearly  all  of 
these  words  children  understand.  With  few  excep- 
tions they  are  daily  on  their  lips,  and  it  is  the  charm 
of  Christianity  that  one  must  be  converted  and  become 
as  a  little  child  to  enter  into  its  spirit  and  kingdom. 
The  message,  therefore,  can  be  stated  in  words  so 
simple  that  a  child  may  understand  it,  and  so  intimate 
and  searching  that  any  man,  whatever  may  have  been 
the  length  and  breadth  and  depth  of  his  sin  and  suffer- 
ing and  sorrow,  will  find  it  fitted  to  his  needs  and  able 
to  save  him,  even  unto  the  uttermost. 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL 


IV 
THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL 

Early  Aim.  The  aim  of  Christianity  has  always 
been  to  save  the  individual.  St.  Paul  said,  "I  am  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel :  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth."  It  has  always 
been  the  glory  of  the  gospel  that  it  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation.  The  churches  have  clung  tenaciously 
to  this  ideal.  Hegel  observed  that  the  individual  has 
an  infinite  worth,  as  he  is  the  aim  and  object  of  God's 
love,  and  Martineau  believed  that  the  true  meaning  of 
the  Christian  faith  is  its  reverential  estimate  of  the 
human  soul.  Principal  Fairbairn  says :  "The  Chris- 
tian era  created  two  novel  notions  as  to  man — the  value 
of  the  unit,  and  the  unity  of  the  race." 

Individualism  was  a  new  idea  in  the  days  when 
Jesus  and  his  disciples  taught  the  first  lessons  of  faith 
and  cried:  "Repent  ye;  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
at  hand."  The  teachers  of  Greece  and  Rome  insisted 
that  the  state  was  of  main  importance,  not  the  indi- 
vidual. 

In  Plato's  Republic  social  solidarity  was  stressed,  as 
it  was  later  by  the  Roman  Stoics.  They  said  the  indi- 
vidual was  of  very  little  importance.  Those  whose 
predecessors  were  not  influenced  by  the  Reformation 
in  the  sixteenth  century  teach  that  the  welfare  of  the 


82  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Church  is  of  first  consideration.  When  the  Church 
speaks,  private  judgment  must  be  silent.  The  individ- 
ual's path  is  opened  for  him  by  his  spiritual  teachers. 
He  must  simply  be  docile.  The  Church  is  all-important. 
He  passes,  but  she  stays.  His  life  evaporates,  the 
stream  of  the  Church  goes  on  forever.  His  religious 
leaders  tell  him  that  his  heart-breaking  questions  are 
his  soul's  greatest  danger. 

In  the  days  of  the  Reformation  the  worth  of  the 
individual  was  stated  again.  The  evangelical  Churches 
regard  each  person  in  the  same  way  in  which  St. 
Paul  measured  his  worth.  The  work  for  the  churches, 
well  stated  by  one  who  is  not  himself  an  evangelical,  is 
"to  save  the  individual  whose  worth  is  beyond  all 
earthly  computation — to  educate  him  if  ignorant,  to 
uplift  him  if  degraded,  to  civilize  him  if  barbarous, 
to  moralize  him  if  sinful,  to  redeem  him  if  lost — and 
this  has  been  the  work  of  the  Church  since  the  days 
when  Jesus  was  first  called  Jesus  down  even  to  the 
present  time."  Have  the  churches  always  been  doing 
this  work?    Are  the  churches  all  doing  it  to-day? 

A  Pertinent  Question.  In  later  years,  however,  men 
have  been  asking,  "What  is  an  individual?"  The 
modem  world  has  been  stirred  profoundly  by  this 
question.  A  new  thought  of  what  a  man  is  and  in 
what  his  life  consists  is  quietly  taking  possession  of 
the  age.  Much  of  the  confusion  of  our  day  and  of  the 
cry  for  changes  that  make  men's  hearts  tremble  is  a 
demand  that  a  correct  definition  shall  be  given.  Some 
thoughtful  people  are  fearful  that  the  consequences  of 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  83 

the  discussion  may  be  revolutionary.  They  see  the 
spirit  of  change  sweeping  through  the  world  to-day 
and  unrest  manifesting  itself  everywhere. 

No  Life  Is  Isolated.  The  individual  we  know  now 
is  not  an  insulated  or  an  isolated  person.  He  lives  in 
relation  to  others.  He  has  vital  contacts.  In  society 
he  is  a  father,  a  son,  a  brother.  He  has  a  family  life, 
and  his  life  has  the  mutual  element  in  it.  He  has 
neighbors,  and  helps  them  or  hurts  them.  His  com- 
munity life  is  bound  up  with  other  lives.  His  course 
of  life  may  injure  them  or  their  possessions.  In  that 
case  the  law  holds  him  responsible  and  makes  him  pay 
a  fine  or  suffer  a  punishment.  His  cattle  cannot  eat 
grass  or  trample  the  gardens  of  his  neighbors.  He  is 
a  citizen,  and  helps  to  make  the  town  or  city.  He  obeys 
laws  which  are  made  by  the  government,  and  cannot  do 
as  he  pleases  if  he  is  pleased  to  do  wrong.  He  is 
not  a  solitary  digit,  but  stands  with  other  numbers  and 
gives  them  meaning.  Educationally,  socially,  polit- 
ically, industrially,  spiritually,  is  he  not  a  part  of  a 
system?  Has  he  not  a  body  unlike  another,  a  mind 
of  a  certain  strength,  and  duties  which  are  his  own 
and  not  another's?  When  he  moves,  and  often  when 
he  stands  still,  does  he  not  discover  that  his  body  can- 
not act  independently  of  others?  Do  not  his  thoughts 
and  ideas  constantly  relate  themselves  to  those  of  his 
friends  and  strangers,  and  do  not  his  footsteps  cross 
and  recross  the  innumerable  paths  marked  by  the  feet 
of  other  men?  He  is  a  wire,  but  is  he  not  also  one  of 
the  system  of  wires?    His  life,  like  his  telephone,  has 


84  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

intricate  connections  with  others.  He  is  a  spring,  but 
do  not  the  lower  and  the  higher  waters  of  the  moun- 
tain out  of  which  the  spring  flows  intermingle  freely 
with  those  of  other  lives?  How  far  down  the  moun- 
tainside does  the  brooklet  that  finds  its  way  from  the 
spring  pass  before  it  is  joined  by  the  waters  from 
others?  He  is  a  rose  that  spends  its  fragrance  on  the 
morning  air;  but  does  not  the  flower  depend  upon  the 
soil  and  upon  the  gardener  who  cultivates,  prunes, 
and  waters  the  bush  on  which  other  roses  as  fragrant 
and  beautiful  are  maturing?  Does  any  man  live  unto 
himself?  Does  not  the  bad  father  bring  desolation  to 
the  home  ?  Can  the  wicked  citizen  fail  to  help  to  lower 
public  morals  in  the  state?  How  high  may  not  the 
Christian  lift  them? 

A  Separate  Individual  Impossible.  The  unfaithful 
health  officer  spreads  disease  that  may  attack  his  own 
children.  "The  universe  of  the  isolated  self  is  an 
imaginary  universe."  A  Christian,  like  every  other 
man,  has  social  attributes  and  must  solve  social  prob- 
lems. Some  of  these  are  as  simple  as  the  examples 
of  addition,  subtraction,  multiplication,  and  division. 
Others  are  as  complex  as  the  problems  of  the  higher 
mathematics.  It  makes  a  great  difference  what  an- 
cestors a  man  has,  what  environment  he  grows  in,  who 
his  friends  are,  who  gives  him  his  ideas  of  religion,  of 
government,  of  God.  Was  his  grandfather  a  thief 
and  his  great-grandfather  a  pirate?  Is  he  the  son  of 
a  noble  father,  and  did  his  mother  teach  him  to  pray 
and  worship  the  Lord?    .Was  he  born  in  a  jungle,  or 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  85 

near  a  gristmill,  or  in  a  palace;  in  a  free  or  in  a 
despotic  country?  These  questions  help  us  to  define 
the  individual.  The  roots  of  a  Christian's  life  go 
down  far  below  the  surface  and  spread  out  widely  like 
a  tree  in  the  forest,  with  enemies  and  friends.  His 
roots  hold  others  as  do  his  arms,  interlocking  with 
theirs  when  the  storms  try  all  lives.  He  is  an  intimate 
part  of  the  experiences  of  many  people,  and  the  lives 
of  many  people  are  freely  interwoven  into  the  texture 
of  his  soul.  All  his  problems  have  a  social  reach.  As 
Dr.  Peabody  has  said  in  The  Approach  to  the  Social 
Question:  "A  separate  individual  is  an  abstraction  not 
known  to  experience." 

Society,  according  to  Dr.  Stuckenberg,  is  not  com- 
posed of  individuals,  but  of  what  each  individual  con- 
tributes toward  the  group  or  groups  of  which  he  is  a 
part.  Therefore  a  church  may  be  poor,  although 
several  of  its  members  are  rich.  And  the  art  tone  of 
a  community  may  be  low,  although  several  individuals 
possess  high  artistic  culture  and  own  valuable  paint- 
ings which  they  keep  carefully  from  public  sight. 

The  Contagion  of  Health.  The  most  stringent  pre- 
cautions are  taken  to  avoid  the  contagion  of  disease, 
and  the  progress  made  by  medical  science  encourages 
us  to  hope  for  still  greater  results.  Every  step  for- 
ward, however,  has  been  denounced  by  the  opponents 
of  vaccination  and  of  other  precautionary  efforts.  In 
the  truest  sense,  all  contagion  is  the  contagion  of 
health.  Contagion  is  the  power  of  the  germ  to  select 
its  food  and  grozv,  and  this  power  is  due  to  its  health, 


86  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

or  vitality.  Christian  love,  faith,  hope,  and  goodness 
are  contagious,  but  they  bring  health  and  life,  not  sick- 
ness and  death.  We  hear  less  about  the  contagion  of 
health,  but  this  is  as  truly  scientific  as  the  contagion  of 
disease. 

A  man  is  discouraged  by  losses  in  business.  He  has 
stood  also  recently  in  the  shadows  of  sorrow.  He  feels 
the  foundations  slipping  from  under  his  feet.  The 
night  of  unbelief  is  shutting  down.  His  heart  action  is 
abnormal  and  his  courage  has  gone.  His  soul  is 
strangely  filled  with  fears.  He  thinks  even  of  suicide. 
Into  his  office  suddenly  comes  a  Christian  man,  who 
speaks  words  of  cheer  and  hope,  and  at  once  he  is  in 
a  new  world.  He  has  courage  to  try  again  in  business. 
He  sees  the  blue  heaven  through  the  clouds  as  he  re- 
calls a  promise  of  Christ.  His  feet  hold  again  to  the 
pavement.  It  is  morning  everywhere.  He  feels  the 
thrill  of  a  new  hope  and  has  a  fresh  grip.  He  resolves 
to  lead  a  life  of  Christian  service,  he  enters  the  church 
of  his  Lord  as  a  restored  disciple,  and  to  the  remotest 
corners  of  his  life  a  new  spirit  travels.  This  new  man 
remodels  the  tenements  he  owns  and  makes  them  fit 
homes  for  the  poor.  He  mingles  charity  with  his 
business  and  is  kind  to  those  who  are  out  of  work 
and  gentle  with  them  when  they  cannot  pay  their 
rents  promptly.  He  introduces  profit-sharing  into  his 
mills  and  becomes  interested  in  the  men  he  employs, 
until  they  realize  that  he  is  not  seeking  their  life- 
blood,  but  desires  to  give  them  new  red  blood  for 
the   battles   against   poverty,    ignorance,    and   wasted 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  87 

years.  He  reaches  down  into  the  community  as  he 
serves  on  welfare  committees.  He  insists  that  every 
house  shall  be  suitably  lighted,  properly  ventilated, 
and  sanitary,  that  the  milk  supplied  shall  be  pure, 
that  the  merchants  shall  give  proper  weight  and 
sell  pure  food.  He  throws  all  his  influence  against 
those  who  comer  the  markets  and  artificially  lift  the 
prices  of  food.  Wrong-doers  hate  him,  but  they  fear 
him  also.  At  first  they  questioned  his  sincerity,  but 
soon  they  knew  he  was  a  true  man.  He  was  to  them 
another  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  He  has  fought  the 
saloon,  the  grafters,  and  those  who  keep  houses  of  sin 
until  he  is  a  tower  of  spiritual  strength.  His  sense  of 
justice  has  become  so  keen  that  he  serves  frequently 
as  arbitrator  in  industrial  strife,  and  all  because  another 
man  stopped  a  few  moments  and  came  to  him  when 
he  was  at  a  crisis  in  his  life  and  persuaded  him  to 
be  a  Christian  hero.  This  good  man  and  brave  joined 
with  others.  They  mutualized  their  contacts  and 
labored  to  save  the  city  and  its  people. 

A  Young  Man  with  Thirty  Families.  This  social 
worker  and  spiritual  enthusiast  devotes  his  spare  time 
in  doing  a  piece  of  work  which  he  discovered.  He  is 
a  business  man,  and  in  touch  with  groups  of  various 
interesting  people.  When  he  went  to  New  York  he 
had  several  ways  of  life  open  to  him.  He  might  have 
gone  into  politics,  into  club  life,  or  into  social  life. 
Without  neglecting  his  friends,  he  selected  something 
very  diflFerent.  He  examined  a  part  of  the  city  where 
the  people  lived  in  a  very  congested  area,  represent- 


88  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

ing  many  foreign  nations.  Associating  himself  with 
a  work  already  established,  he  lifted  with  all  his  might 
to  help  first  a  few  and  then  many  souls. 

From  the  beginning  his  efforts  have  been  corrective, 
and  later  he  has  added  forms  of  preventive  service. 
He  ranges  himself  among  the  foes  of  all  varieties  of 
evil  and  is  attacking  in  every  way  possible  the  vari- 
ous forms  of  wickedness  that  show  their  heads  in  the 
part  of  the  city  where  he  specializes.  He  has  taken 
on  his  heart  and  into  his  life  one  family  after  another 
until  he  has  now  thirty  families  to  which  he  is  a  big 
brother  and  adviser  in  every  way.  As  fast  as  these 
families  are  helped  to  self-support  and  self-respect  and 
brought  into  touch  with  some  Christian  church  or  mis- 
sionary institution,  he  takes  another  family,  and,  be- 
ginning at  the  bottom,  repeats  the  process. 

He  has  become  an  expert  in  social  service.  He 
knows  the  names  of  the  children  in  each  family,  advises 
their  parents  in  their  bringing  up,  keeps  track  of  their 
progress  in  school,  and  studies  the  monthly  reports 
of  the  boys  and  girls  which  the  teachers  send  to  the 
homes.  He  knows  when  the  little  baby  cuts  its  teeth, 
and  is  a  friend  in  time  of  sickness  and  distress  and 
unemployment.  He  is  frequently  called  in  to  settle 
family  disputes.  He  often  stands  guard  when  a 
drunken  parent  returns  to  the  home.  When  his  mother 
visited  him  one  day  in  August  he  took  her  into  his 
strange  parish.  As  they  walked  through  the  crowded 
streets,  a  little  girl  playing  on  a  fire-escape  spied  her 
friend  and  big  brother.    With  a  cry  of  joy  she  raised 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  89 

a  shout  which  was  heard  throughout  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  within  five  minutes  fifty  children  were  danc- 
ing with  joy  around  the  young  man  and  his  white- 
haired  mother.     One  can  imagine  her  emotions. 

Why  was  he  visiting  his  boys  and  girls  that  day? 
It  was  to  arrange  for  their  outing  in  the  country.  This 
young  man  who  has  discovered  such  a  fine  piece  of 
work  in  the  heart  of  the  foreign  quarter  of  New  York 
spends  generously  his  income  on  his  self-imposed  but 
delightful  tasks.  It  is  probable  that  his  friends  who 
know  of  his  work  have  some  share  in  its  cost.  He 
does  not  neglect,  however,  the  work  of  his  church,  but 
is  regularly  at  the  Sunday  morning  services,  mid-week 
meetings,  and  for  several  years  was  the  superintend- 
ent of  the  Sunday-school.  Why  cannot  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  young  men  repeat  what  he  is  doing? 

What  a  Girl  of  Nineteen  Began.  Eighteen  years 
ago  in  the  crowded  part  of  a  great  city  she  rented  a 
room  at  her  own  expense  and  began  to  teach  weary 
mothers  how  to  care  for  their  children.  While  they 
were  at  work,  she  encouraged  them  to  bring  their 
babies  to  her.  When  they  were  sick,  she  nursed  them 
back  to  health.  Of  course  such  an  angel  could  not 
work  unobserved,  and  a  few  friends  began  to  help 
her  in  her  holy  purpose  of  service.  The  work  grew 
until  several  hundred  persons  every  month  during  all 
these  years  have  been  helped  by  her  ministry.  With- 
out regard  to  their  religious  affiliations  she  has  assisted 
all  who  were  in  need. 

Homes  that  she  found  broken  by  sin  and  dissipation 


90  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

have  been  mended  by  her  skilful,  patient,  and  loving 
work.  Hundreds  of  children  are  cared  for  by  her  in 
a  summer  camp  and  are  given  a  brief  outing  where 
the  air  is  fresh  and  the  flowers  grow.  A  day  nursery 
now  occupies  a  building  erected  by  her  friends  and 
many  forms  of  Christian  ministry  are  the  result  of 
her  thought  and  prayer.  On  Tuesday  evenings  more 
than  two  hundred  mothers  and  their  children  crowd 
into  the  lower  rooms  of  the  building  to  repeat  pas- 
sages of  the  Scripture,  to  offer  prayer,  and  to  tell  what 
the  Lord  has  done  for  them  in  times  of  sickness  and 
distress. 

A  man  of  wide  outlook  who  attended  one  of  these 
services  said  that  on  no  single  occasion  in  his  life  had 
he  heard  so  many  Bible  verses  repeated  as  on  that  eve- 
ning. Conspicuous  among  those  who  testified  were 
several  Jewish  mothers.  No  work  is  done  in  this  settle- 
ment house  on  Sunday.  It  is  the  rest-day  for  the 
workers,  for  it  is  the  aim  of  this  wise  leader  to  attach 
every  family  to  a  religious  congregation.  Has  this 
wonderful  woman  discovered  a  piece  of  work  that 
hundreds  of  others  may  not  also  discover  and  begin 
and  finish? 

A  Sane  Ambition.  A  college  graduate,  who  can- 
not stand  the  strain  of  city  life,  has  recently  been 
offered  a  farm  by  his  uncle.  Trained  to  outdoor  work 
in  his  boyhood,  he  intends  to  establish  himself  in  a 
rural  community,  build  his  life  into  the  church,  demon- 
strate what  can  be  done  in  the  Sunday-school,  stand 
for  pKurity  in  jx)litics,  improve  as  far  as  possible  the 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  91 

educational  ideals  of  the  town,  develop  the  library,  and 
do  all  for  which  he  believes  his  college  education  has 
providentially  prepared  him.  He  is  to  attempt  a  work 
which  many  ill  conditioned  but  brave  young  men  in 
the  cities  might  well  begin  in  the  country. 

A  New  Way  to  Do  Good.  A  new  form  of  service 
has  been  discovered  in  the  custom  that  is  growing  up 
in  factories  where  large  numbers  of  men  and  women 
toil  at  quiet  tasks  in  a  single  room.  In  one  of  the 
great  cigar  factories  about  six  hundred  men  employ 
one  of  their  number  to  sit  in  the  center  of  the  room 
on  a  raised  platform  and  to  read  aloud  newspapers, 
magazines,  and  books.  They  listen  as  they  work, 
and  each  man  makes  an  extra  cigar  for  his  friend, 
and  the  six  hundred  or  more  cigars  give  the  reader  the 
average  wage  his  friends  receive.  In  this  and  other 
shops  outside  readers  and  speakers  are  made  welcome. 
The  door  of  service  is  wide  open,  and  the  hearers  are 
very  attentive.  One's  presence  does  not  sanction  the 
business,  and  those  who  hear  the  speaker  may  not 
agree  with  what  he  says.  Indeed,  they  may  argue 
with  him,  and  warmly  oppose  his  statements.  They 
love  an  argument,  but  will  generally  conduct  it  with  a 
stranger  in  a  fair  and  interesting  way.  Shall  social 
agitators  and  rabid  iconoclasts  alone  accept  these  op- 
portunities, or  will  the  ministers,  their  assistants,  and 
their  people  of  culture  and  energ}?-  also  embrace  the 
chance  to  tell  the  truth  to  those  who  are  like  the  Athe- 
nians in  one  respect,  at  least,  that  they  are  eager  to  hear 
some  new  thing?    Many  of  these  men  are  not  interested 


92  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

in  gods  many,  nor  in  the  unknown  god,  but  they  are 
ready  to  listen,  to  ask  questions,  and  to  argue. 

The  Worth  of  Friendliness.  The  cultivation  of 
friendliness  is  imperatively  needed.  One  sees  occa- 
sionally what  should  be  avoided  when  a  conductor  on 
an  eastern  railroad  treats  the  immigrants  rudely.  They 
have  paid  their  fare,  and  the  only  word  in  English 
they  know  is  the  name  of  the  city  to  which  they  are 
journeying.  Kindness  to  workmen  and  to  strangers, 
and  the  gentle  courtesies  of  life  shown  in  cars  and  on 
the  streets,  in  elevators,  offices,  and  schools,  create  an 
atmosphere  that  corrects  a  man's  selfish  tendencies  and 
gives  a  sense  of  justice  to  all  human  relations. 

The  Christian  who  always  has  the  milk  of  human 
kindness  in  his  soul  will  cultivate  a  true  friendliness 
with  all  whom  he  meets.  He  need  not  speak  to  stran- 
gers to  make  them  feel  its  presence  in  his  life.  Real 
friendliness  radiates  invisibly  from  him,  and  its  heat 
rays  melt  cold  hearts  and  warm  the  benumbed  and 
helpless  hands  of  discouraged  souls.  To  meet  anger 
with  calmness  and  unjust  words  with  a  smile,  to  be- 
friend the  helpless,  to  be  gentle  with  the  aged,  to  be 
thoughtful  of  the  infirm  and  unfortunate  people,  to  be 
attentive  to  little  children,  to  be  a  strong  defender  of 
the  depressed,  and  to  be  sympathetic  with  defective, 
delinquent,  and  dependent  people  are  some  of  the  secrets 
of  a  far-reaching  life.  Even  the  animals  know  the 
stranger  who  is  fond  of  them.  The  deaf  are  often 
unhappy  because  they  miss  the  kind  words  of  their 
friends.     The  blind  smile  habitually  because  they  are 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  93 

always  tenderly  treated  and  gently  led.  An  unkind 
Christian  is  a  contradiction  in  words. 

Christian  Multiples.  When  the  reach  of  such  lives 
is  multiplied  in  every  rural  community,  town,  and  city 
in  a  nation,  we  begin  to  realize  how  far  and  fast  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  reaches  down  into  the  lives  of 
men  to  reform,  to  transform,  and  to  transfigure  them. 
Society  becomes  Christian  in  all  its  parts  in  so  far  and 
as  rapidly  as  Christians  build  their  lives  into  the  lives 
of  others  and  lay  the  golden  treasure  of  the  gospel 
along  every  path,  however  remote,  where  their  influ- 
ence goes. 

When  Alabaster  Boxes  Are  Broken.  When  a 
Christian  whose  life  travels  out  so  widely  into  the  lives 
of  others  has  a  noble  plan  to  spiritualize  any  human 
activity,  he  should  propose  it  even  though  men  think 
him  a  dreamer.  To  him  it  may  never  be  more  than  a 
dream,  but  to  another  it  may  become  a  vision,  to 
another  a  solvent  of  his  perplexity,  and  to  another  a 
path  to  his  victory.  Perhaps  he  can  only  announce 
the  discovery  of  his  new  idea,  but  men  who  are  stran- 
gers to  him  may  explore  its  mysteries,  discover  its 
wealth,  and  develop  its  resources.  A  man  should  not 
stop  to  get  every  happy  thought  copyrighted  before  he 
lets  the  world  have  it.  He  should  publish  it  in  his 
next  conversation  with  any  man  who  seems  to  need  its 
stimulus.  He  should  let  the  fragrance  out  of  the  bottle 
and  spray  the  world  with  sweetness.  Christianity  de- 
velops a  happy  heart  and  smiles.  The  cheerful  laugh 
of  an  optimist  in  the  face  of  difficulty  may  save  a 


94  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

church  from  disbanding,  a  minister  from  resigning  his 
pastorate,  a  business  man  from  giving  up  the  fight  to 
be  honest,  a  youth  from  abandoning  the  education  that 
will  fit  him  to  save  the  nation.  A  man  should  take  off 
his  gloves  and  lend  a  hand,  yes,  two  hands,  and  lift 
with  all  his  might  the  burdens  from  his  neighbor's 
shoulders.  He  should  remember  that  the  grime  of 
honest  toil  is  one  of  the  cleanest  things  in  the  world, 
and  that  the  water  of  life  also  runs  down  hill  and  seeks 
its  level  in  the  lowest  social  levels. 

The  Christian  should  not  fear  to  help  the  down- 
trodden. The  red  man  has  still  a  burden  and  should 
be  helped  to  lift  it.  The  black  man's  heart  may  become 
as  white  as  snow  under  the  treatment  of  the  Savior 
to  whom  he  introduces  him.  The  yellow  face  will  for 
him  contain  no  peril  if  a  Christian  has  the  spirit  of 
the  Master,  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  and  the  harm- 
lessness  of  the  dove. 

One  Arm  Is  Not  Sufficient.  Even  the  strongest  and 
ablest  workmen  must  have  helpers.  These  are  not 
hod-carriers  to  bring  them  the  rough  material  to  build 
into  the  wall,  but  equals,  to  inspire  them  with  fellow- 
ship. One  man  cannot  labor  beyond  his  individual 
strength.  The  evil  forces  in  a  community  have  paved 
the  streets  of  sin  with  blocks  too  heavy  for  one  re- 
former to  lift  and  cast  aside.  The  saloons  can  be 
closed  by  votes  of  many  men,  but  not  by  the  words  of 
one  man.  When  earnest  souls  unite  to  oppose  the  evil 
forces  in  a  city,  they  first  drive  them  to  cover,  later  out 
of  their  retreat;  and  then  the  best  results  follow. 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  95 

In  an  eastern  city  a  pastor  found  a  member  of  his 
church  in  great  trouble.  Her  husband,  a  well-to-do 
farmer,  had  purchased  liquor  at  a  saloon,  and  in  an 
intoxicated  condition  had  been  thrown  out  of  its  back 
door,  sustaining  serious  injuries.  The  wife  wished 
to  have  the  saloon-keeper  punished,  but  feared  he 
would  burn  her  buildings  if  she  made  complaint.  Her 
pastor  obtained  a  warrant  for  the  saloon-keeper's  arrest 
and  he  was  fined  in  the  courts.  Other  arrests  fol- 
lowed, and  the  saloon-keepers  appealed  their  cases. 
The  grand  jury  failed  to  indict,  and  the  county  at- 
torney had  boasted  that  this  would  happen.  Many  of 
the  best  people  in  the  city  felt  that  it  was  a  most  inop- 
portune time  to  press  the  matter  of  temperance  because 
the  state  elections  were  about  to  take  place,  and  both 
of  the  leading  parties  greatly  feared  the  results  of  an 
agitation. 

The  minister  could  not  find  many  who  would  join 
him.  He  did  not  make  his  actions  subject  of  remarks 
in  the  pulpit,  but  he  did  what  he  thought  was  his  duty 
in  trying  to  protect  his  families  from  the  ravages  of 
the  saloons.  Several  of  the  most  prominent  men  in 
this  parish  privately  admired  his  courage  but  publicly 
regretted  his  action.  In  his  own  congregation  he  found 
two  families  involved  in  the  evil  business,  frankly 
talked  with  them  and  kept  their  friendship.  This  man 
failed  in  his  attempt,  and  was  soon  called  to  a  larger 
church,  which,  however,  found  itself  defeated  in  its 
efforts  to  change  the  lawlessness  of  officials  because 
other  churches  were  lukewarm  on  the  subject.     One 


96  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

worker  or  one  church  among  many  cannot  do  reform 
work  alone. 

Workers  Must  Join  Hands.  There  must  be  a  group 
of  men  to  grapple  with  the  forces  of  evil,  and  it  should 
be  composed  of  those  who  know  full  well  the  value 
of  organization  and  concerted  action.  Such  is  the  aim 
and  experience  of  federations  of  churches.  In  a  state 
in  the  Middle  West,  a  teacher  in  the  public  school  was 
wiser,  and  therefore  successful  in  his  reform  efforts. 
He  saw  the  need  of  opposing  the  groups  of  selfish 
men  who  were  exploiting  the  city  and  making  before 
the  workers  of  ©vil  a  smooth  road  for  the  chariot- 
wheels  which  were  crushing  out  the  lives  of  the  people. 
After  a  careful  study  of  the  lawlessness  of  the  com- 
munity, he  went  to  the  men's  classes  in  all  the  Sun- 
day-schools, explained  the  shameful  conditions  in  the 
city,  and  proposed  that  all  good  men  and  true  should 
quietly  organize  to  cleanse  the  town  of  its  impurities. 
At  the  next  election,  these  determined  reformers  sur- 
prised and  drove  the  grafters  from  office  and  wrested 
the  control  of  the  city  from  their  hands.  Acting  alone, 
this  energetic  and  noble  man  would  have  failed.  Act- 
ing with  others,  he  amply  succeeded.  A  single  man 
with  even  two  pails  of  water  cannot  extinguish  a  rag- 
ing fire,  but  a  department  of  fire  fighters  will  soon 
.  quench  it.  The  righteous  men  and  women  of  a  com- 
munity, if  united,  can  put  the  hosts  of  wickedness  to 
flight.  They  can  close  the  holes  of  vice,  break  the  sin 
traps,  and  drive  out  the  darkness  of  evil  before  the 
rays  of  their  bright  lives;  but  men  who  work  singly 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  97 

can  do  little  more  than  see  evil,  warn  men  against  it, 
and  condemn  those  who  practise  it. 

Continuous  Action  Necessary.  Evil  men  combine 
for  unholy  ends  and  continue  their  labors  day  and 
night.  Self-interest  goads  them  forward.  Their  finer 
feelings  become  stunted,  but  their  coarser  natures  grow 
strong  and  aggressive.  They  do  not  work  fitfully. 
Their  mines  do  not  give  out,  and  they  are  constantly 
inventing  high-pressure  machines  to  increase  the  prod- 
uct of  evil.  They  find,  however,  that  those  opposing 
them,  even  in  some  of  the  best  organized  reform  move- 
ments, are  so  spasmodic  in  their  efforts  that  they  have 
little  to  fear  of  permanent  loss  to  their  political  and 
immoral  machines.  When  the  good  men  in  a  com- 
munity, inspired  by  the  Christian  impulse  to  carry  their 
influence  into  every  department  of  life,  organize  their 
forces  to  conquer  evil,  they  should  make  their  machin- 
ery more  powerful,  their  plans  more  permanent,  and 
their  execution  of  these  more  insistent  than  the  social 
destroyers  of  the  city  can  possibly  match  by  their 
submarine  methods  of  warfare.  The  battle  for  right- 
eousness must  be  waged  without  ceasing,  and  when 
this  is  done,  and  reformers  are  strongly  entrenched 
and  are  constantly  at  work,  municipal  conditions  be- 
come politically  sane  and  morally  safe. 

The  Normal  Christian.  The  normal  Christian  who 
lets  his  life  in  all  its  reaches  become  spiritualized, 
breaks  every  alabaster  box  and  pours  the  ointment 
forth.  He  believes  that  alabaster  boxes  are  not  for 
shelves  but  for  souls,  not  for  lending  but  for  soend- 


98  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

ing;  and  valuable  for  what  is  poured  from  them.  He 
confesses  by  his  daily  action  that  the  test  of  his  life 
is  not  what  it  can  gather  in  but  what  it  can  give  forth, 
as  the  medicinal  spring  is  of  no  value  while  in  the 
mountain,  but  only  as  it  rises  to  the  surface  and  pours 
forth  its  healing  for  those  who  discover  its  worth.  It 
is  not  the  amount  but  the  motive  that  weighs.  The 
woman  who  went  home  from  church  and  sent  her  draft 
for  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  missions  did  a 
noble  act,  but  in  proportion  to  her  ability  no  more 
than  the  widow  who  gave  the  twelve  dollars  which  she 
had  been  saving  for  a  new  cloak.  The  stranger  who 
called  at  the  office  of  a  missionary  society  in  New 
York  and  gave  a  check  for  fifty  thousand  dollars, 
which  was  honored  at  the  bank,  made  possible  a  new 
step  forward  in  foreign  missions;  but  the  young  man 
who  left  college  for  a  year  that  he  might  earn  a  thou- 
sand dollars  to  push  forward  a  Christian  enterprise 
also  did  well. 

The  Threefold  Life.  The  world,  however,  is  not 
greatly  impressed  by  good  words  unless  they  have 
the  right  ring,  and  it  cares  very  little  for  good  works 
that  do  not  proceed  from  pure  motives.  A  man  whose 
faith  in  God  is  true  disarms  all  criticism  and  in  the 
end  silences  his  enemies.  Such  a  man  is  justified  by 
faith  before  God,  and  his  faith  in  God  he  also  justifies 
before  his  fellow  men  by  its  constant  expression  in 
good  works  and  in  good  words.  A  good  faith  gives 
strength  to  good  words  and  energy  to  good  works. 
The  three  make  the  ideal  Christian  life,  but  if  one  of 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  99 

the  three  is  lacking  is  not  the  resultant  life  abnormal  and 
twisted  ? 

Lest  We  Forget.  A  certain  tree  carefully  planted 
near  a  stream  by  a  skilful  hand  experienced  several 
accidents.  In  plowing  around  the  roots  a  workman 
nearly  destroyed  its  life.  As  a  result  its  growth  was 
retarded  for  nearly  three  years  and  it  hardly  held  its 
own.  When  it  was  well  again  an  ox  leaned  against  it 
and  its  advance  was  delayed  for  two  years  more.  At 
length,  in  spite  of  dangers  and  accidents,  it  grew  to 
bear  much  valuable  fruit.  Its  roots  now  grip  the  rocky 
soil  and  the  branches  have  grown  to  a  great  height. 
So  the  Christian,  though  planted  by  a  river  of  water, 
needs  to  be  shielded  from  evil,  and  in  case  of  spiritual 
accident  to  be  healed  by  the  Master.  It  is  not  enough 
to  have  his  life  safely  planted  by  loving  hands  in  a 
favorable  place.  Many  experiences  may  come  to 
threaten  if  not  to  destroy  him.  The  tree  in  the  pasture 
was  at  length  protected  with  a  fence  until  it  grew  not 
only  to  be  fruitful  but  to  shelter  the  children  at  play 
and  give  its  shade  to  weary  travelers.  A  Christian's 
life  is  best  protected  by  the  fences  of  a  Christian 
church  and  a  Christian  home.  From  what  evils  do 
they  not  preserve  him?  They  have  safeguarded  his 
growth  and  made  his  life  to  be  a  refuge  to  many  dis- 
couraged souls  in  hours  of  darkness  and  storm.  As 
the  tree  in  the  field  bears  fruit  that  is  sent  throughout 
the  town,  so  his  life  yields  fruitage  which  may  extend 
his  influence  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  commu- 
nity. 


100  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Experience  and  the  Christian  Outreach.  In  medi- 
cine, men  insist  that  our  young  doctors  shall  have  hos- 
pital practise  as  well  as  know  the  theories  of  their 
science  before  they  are  entrusted  with  our  lives.  In 
great  conventions  it  is  generally  the  physician  or  sur- 
geon who  has  had  the  widest  and  most  varied  expe- 
rience that  is  heard  with  the  profoundest  interest.  If 
a  great  specialist  announces  a  discovery  he  mentions 
the  cases  he  has  had  that  prove  his  startling  claims. 
Experience  is  the  basis  for  the  conduct  and  expansion 
of  all  kinds  of  banking,  of  every  department  of  farm- 
ing, of  every  phase  of  business.  Its  worth  is  realized 
in  the  arts  and  sciences.  It  is  the  man  with  expe- 
rience alone  who  can  guide  the  boat  down  the  rapids  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  navigate  a  ship  among  the  icebergs, 
and  bring  it  to  port.  Experience  is  everywhere  the 
basis  of  efficiency. 

When  we  study  the  extension  of  the  gospel  through 
the  outreach  of  human  lives  we  must  remember  that 
experience  is  also  the  test  of  one's  relation  to  Christ 
and  ability  to  serve  mankind.  It  is  the  foundation  of 
a  man's  personal  faith,  and  on  his  experience  of  God's 
love  and  forgiveness  he  builds  the  superstructure  of 
his  life.  He  discovers  also  that  these  lines  are  the 
same  that  others  have  found  safe  and  sure.  Is  not 
the  point  to  be  stressed  in  these  days  of  muddy  and 
careless  religious  thinking  that  all  men  shall  have  a 
sure  and  positive  Christian  experience?  Such  an  ex- 
perience is  a  rock.  The  sand  shifts  with  the  winds  and 
changes  with  the  tides.    May  not  the  supreme  value  of 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  101 

all  religions  be  tested  in  this  crucible?  The  religions 
of  the  East  and  the  West  will  have  their  values  proved 
by  this  trial  of  fire.  All  systems  of  faith  will  be  found 
wanting  which  do  not  acquaint  their  followers  with 
God  and  sin  and  salvation.  In  sorrow  and  in  death 
men  need  a  faith  that  will  give  confidence  and  firm 
reliance  on  the  eternal  realities.  And  who  can  doubt 
that  the  palm  of  victory  will  be  given  to  Christianity? 

The  Present  Popularity  of  Jesus.  The  movements 
of  thought  that  were  intended  to  discredit  Christ's 
teachings  have  exalted  his  matchless  personality. 
Men  who  despise  the  churches,  who  hate  their  min- 
isters, are  friendly  to  Jesus  and  regard  him  as  the 
greatest  man  of  all  history.  They  say  he  was  an  ideal- 
ist, a  golden  dreamer,  and  that  he  died  because  he 
taught  truth  in  advance  of  his  age.  They  insist  also 
that  his  theories  of  life  are  yet  to  be  tried,  and  their 
admiration  for  him  is  akin  to  worship.  But  is  it  not 
probable  that  those  who  have  reverence  for  his  char- 
acter will  soon  lose  it  if  they  do  not  obey  his  teachings? 
Must  we  not  believe  with  Professor  Cairns  that  the 
churches  have  at  the  present  time  in  the  widespread 
friendly  attitude  of  the  multitudes  toward  Jesus  a 
chance  to  press  the  claims  of  his  teachings  upon  the 
hearts  of  the  people  as  never  before  ?  Is  it  too  much  to 
expect  that  those  who  are  unfriendly  to  the  Christian 
churches  may  be  caused  to  change  their  feelings  toward 
them  if  they  can  be  convinced  that  fellowship  with  the 
church  is  fellowship  with  the  Master? 

Those    prejudiced    against    the    churches    must   be 


102  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

reached  by  the  individuals  whom  the  churches  inspire 
and  whom  they  teach  to  interpret  correctly  the  life  and 
teachings  of  Jesus.  Churches  as  such  are  misunder- 
stood and  misjudged  by  a  multitude.  Their  public 
religious  services  occupy  only  a  few  scattered  hours 
each  week.  But  the  influence  of  the  church  crystal- 
lized in  the  lives  of  individuals  goes  with  them  every- 
where, speaks  through  their  words,  and  convinces  and 
blesses  the  people  whom  they  touch. 

The  Human  Arm  of  the  Gospel.  The  reach  of  the 
gospel  is  first  of  all  to  save  both  the  individual  and 
society;  and  then,  through  the  individual  as  its  new, 
strong  arm,  to  save  the  world.  The  reach  of  the  gospel 
is  therefore  the  reach  of  the  individual.  In  propor- 
tion as  the  individual  touches  and  thrills  other  lives 
with  the  truth  of  God  will  other  men  be  saved.  The 
Christian  is  the  magnet  which  has  responded  to  the 
spiritual  power  in  Christ,  and  he  immediately  attracts 
unto  himself,  and  through  himself  to  a  church,  other 
lives.  As  these  lives  relate  themselves  to  the  new 
Christian  society,  they  in  turn  become  magnets  to  draw 
still  others,  and  so  the  good  work  goes  forward  as  rap- 
idly as  individuals  saved  by  the  gospel  reach  out  to  save 
others.  Only  a  part,  however,  of  the  Christian  suc- 
cess in  service  is  registered  by  membership  in  the 
Church  and  by  a  confession  of  loyalty  to  Christ.  Each 
life  that  is  saved  may  be  saved  in  any  and  all  its  rela- 
tions. In  business,  in  politics,  education,  society,  the 
Christian  may  be  a  Christian  in  the  fullest  meaning 
of  the  word.     His  life  is  a  leaven  that  permeates  the 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  103 

measure  of  meal  which  is  the  grist  of  all  his  earthly 
activities. 

The  Method  of  Jesus  Reaches  Far.  From  the  days 
of  the  apostles  to  the  present  and  until  the  kingdom 
shall  fully  come,  the  thrust  of  the  personal  life,  the 
power  of  a  smile,  a  testimony,  the  outreach  of  the  indi- 
vidual influence  vitalizing  every  point  of  contact  with 
every  other  life,  show  us  how  far-reaching  was  the 
method  of  Jesus  to  save  the  world  by  saving  individ- 
uals who  should  in  turn  become  the  saviors  of  men. 
But  Christianity's  work  is  not  done  when  the  souls  of 
men  are  saved.  Indeed,  it  has  but  just  begun.  A  soul 
is  saved  at  the  threshold  of  the  kingdom,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  path,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  test 
of  the  service  which  Christianity  inspires  in  every  dis- 
ciple of  the  Master  is  not  only  to  save  another  from  his 
danger,  but  to  destroy  the  things  that  make  for  danger. 
To  heal  the  fever  in  a  man's  soul  or  body  and  to  de- 
stroy the  physical  or  moral  cesspool  that  make  either 
kind  of  fever  possible  is  the  work  of  the  Christian. 

Christianity  Condensed  into  Four  Words.  A  great 
Englishman  made  bold  to  assert  that  all  the  teachings 
of  Jesus  and  his  apostles  concerning  human  need  and 
human  duty  could  be  condensed  into  four  words.  The 
first  was,  admit.  The  man  who  repents  of  his  sin 
admits  Christ  into  his  heart.  Darkness  goes  out.  He 
sees  the  renovation  that  is  necessary,  the  interior 
changes  that  must  be  made,  the  possibilities  of  growth, 
and  recognizes  his  need  of  the  light,  as  in  the  sunshine 
at  the  window  bulbs  brought  from  the  cellar  unfold. 


104  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

blossom,  and  are  fragrant.  He  has  a  new  guest,  even 
the  Lord,  in  his  soul;  and  all  who  cross  the  threshold 
realize  that  this  guest  is  Christ.  The  influence  of  his 
life  becomes  Christian  in  every  way  even  to  the  least 
observed  of  his  business  and  social  activities. 

The  Christian  submits  his  will  to  the  will  of  this 
Guest  who  straightway  becomes  his  Master.  Hence- 
forth he  does  not  please  himself  in  his  choices,  in 
his  use  of  money,  in  his  habits,  in  his  plans.  His  one 
thought  is  to  please  his  Lord.  He  learns  the  joys  of 
obedience.  Early  and  late  he  sits  at  the  feet  of  the  new 
Teacher  and  as  his  soul  grows  his  heart  expands.  But 
obedience  means  that  he  must  apply  to  his  business  the 
laws  of  the  Kingdom;  to  his  pleasures,  the  standards 
of  a  Christian  influence;  to  his  ambitions,  the  measur- 
ing-rod of  the  new  Master;  to  his  friendships,  the 
tests  of  his  fresh  faith ;  and  to  his  enemies,  the  mantle 
of  forgiveness. 

The  Christian  next  discovers  that  he  must  commit 
to  Christ  his  entire  life.  As  he  has  committed  to  him 
his  past  to  be  forgiven  and  his  present  to  be  made 
strong  for  service  and  to  be  proof  against  the  germs 
of  sin,  so  he  must  commit  to  him  the  future  years,  con- 
secrating his  potential  influence  to  the  service  of  the 
Savior  who  has  taught  him  the  joy  of  bearing  his 
cross.  And  all  this  will  enable  him  to  dedicate  every 
energy  of  body,  mind,  and  spirit,  and  to  make  his  life 
in  its  furthest  reaches  vibrate  with  the  thrill  of  Christ's 
touch. 

Such  a  Christian  immediately  and  evermore  under- 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  105 

Stands  the  good  of  service.  He  discovers  that  its  secret 
is  to  transmit  to  every  other  man  and  by  every  proc- 
ess of  Hfe  the  knowledge  of  what  Christ  has  done  for 
him,  to  show  what  his  gospel  may  do  to  save  humanity 
in  all  its  needs  out  of  its  poverty,  its  shame,  its  crime, 
its  suffering,  bringing  in  their  stead,  the  riches,  the 
joy,  the  forgiveness,  and  the  love  of  Christ.  This  love 
of  Christ  will  evermore  constrain  the  Christian,  as  he 
transmits  the  gospel  message  to  others,  to  love  his  fel- 
low men,  whatever  may  be  their  color,  condition,  inher- 
itance, environment,  or  sin.  He  will  do  well  to  re- 
member that  the  word  St.  Paul  used  when  he  said  con- 
strain means  to  grip,  to  fascinate,  to  imprison,  to  be- 
siege. If  the  love  of  Christ  thus  dominates  his  life, 
the  gospel  will  help  each  Christian  to  be  the  divine 
agent  to  save  in  every  way  the  entire  world  in  which 
he  lives  and  moves. 

Contacts,  Human  and  Divine.  Human  contacts, 
however  fortunate,  intimate,  and  -strong,  are  not  suffi- 
cient to  produce  permanent  social  and  spiritual  changes. 
This  is  equally  true  whether  the  contacts  are  those  of 
an  individual  or  a  group.  The  divine  touch  energizes 
the  human  touch.  The  effectual,  fervent  prayer  of  a 
righteous  man  availeth  much  for  himself  because  it 
brings  him  into  a  personal  relation  with  God  and  also 
because  it  brings  him  into  a  spiritual  relation  with  his 
fellow  men.  If  a  Christian  has  the  divine  contact 
alone  he  is  like  a  trolley-arm  touching  the  live  wire  but 
reaching  to  a  car  without  wheels.  But  if  the  wheels 
of  his  life  are  resting  on  the  track  of  earthly  relations, 


106  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

he  can  draw  his  heavy  load  with  good  results  and  even 
up  a  steep  grade,  if  the  trolley-arm  also  touches  the 
wire  above  it. 

His  relation  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  threefold.  Jesus 
said,  "He  is  with  you  and  shall  be  in  you."  This 
means  cooperation  through  companionship  and  purifi- 
cation through  indwelling.  In  the  Book  of  Acts  spe- 
cial visitations  of  the  Spirit  giving  special  power  for 
particular  tasks  are  described,  and  these  experiences 
are  repeated  many  times.  All  who  expect  to  help 
others  as  their  spiritual  exigencies  require  must  render 
the  assistance  through  personal  contact,  but  must  also 
learn  not  only  the  secret  of  the  prayer  life  but  also 
the  experience  .of  the  Holy  Spirit's  fellowship  and 
communion  and  enjoy  his  special  gifts  of  spiritual 
energy  for  particular  tasks. 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH 


V 
THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH 

Why  a  Church?  Some  undeveloped  peoples  have 
met  in  common  worship,  finding  in  human  compan- 
ionship and  in  united  endeavor  incentives  to  reverence 
and  to  religious  thinking.  Judaism  made  much  of  the 
individual  worshiper,  but  had  a  place  for  the  congre- 
gation in  the  synagogue.  It  was  natural  for  the  early 
Christian  believers  to  meet  together,  and  the  impulse 
was  so  strong  that  fear  of  death  did  not  deter  them. 
Community  dangers  and  the  highest  experiences  ac- 
centuate the  tendency  to  get  together  for  common  wor- 
ship and  for  the  divine  blessing. 

The  people  of  a  locality  also  congregate  for  ends 
which  register  their  largest  results  in  a  social  way. 
The  highest  aspirations  of  all  classes  are  strengthened 
by  the  direct  and  reflex  influences  of  the  public  as- 
sembly. Human  beings  are  gregarious  in  their  in- 
stincts, and  their  intuitions,  held  in  common,  strengthen 
these  inclinations  to  herd  together. 

These  yearnings  for  united  worship  and  for  mutual 
social  betterment  focalize  the  kingdom  of  heaven  in  a 
visible  way  among  those  who  believe  in  God  and  .in 
the  revelation  of  his  will  in  Christ.  If  there  were  no 
Scriptural  injunction  not  to  forsake  the  assembling  to- 

109 


110  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

gether,  mutual  aims  would  draw  those  of  like  spiritual 

aspiration.  . 

Social  Tests 

The  Christian's  Neighbor.  The  parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan  shows  that  a  man's  neighbor  is  the  person 
whom  he  finds  in  trouble.  This  unhappy  individual 
may  be  outside  the  inner  group  of  the  friends  who 
form  a  neighborhood.  He  may  be  a  stranger,  met  for 
the  first  and  only  time.  Ships  that  pass  in  the  night 
are  neighbors  if  one  of  them  sends  up  distress  signals. 
To  respond  to  the  call  for  help  at  any  time  is  to  reveal 
the  heart  of  a  neighbor.  In  all  walks  of  life  men  are 
exhibiting  this  spirit.  In  numberless  ways  and  to  a 
splendid  degree  the  passion  of  neighborliness  has 
seized  men. 

In  fraternal  societies  it  reveals  itself  in  groups'  of 
souls  who  unite  their  gifts  and  benefits  far  each  other 
in  sickness  and  need.  These  organizations  are  noble 
but  self-centered.  Persons  join  them  for  what  they 
can  get  as  well  as  for  what  they  can  give.  Charitable 
societies,  whether  acting  alone  or  in  association  with 
other  groups  of  welfare  workers,  direct  their  efforts  to 
the  improvement  of  the  present  and  outward  conditions 
of  unfortunate  persons,  or  in  prreventing  an  environ- 
ment that  creates  confusion  in  social  life.  These 
efforts,  if  effective,  are  generally  directed  to  help  indi- 
viduals and  to  improve  family  life. 

Numerous  groups  of  men  and  women  labor  in  one 
or  more  reform  movements  without  which  the  moral 
progress    of    the    world    would    be    retarded.      The 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH     lU 

churches  would  have  to  be  engaged  officially  in  these 
directions  if  these  helpful  labors  were  not  conducted 
by  outside  organizations.  It  should  never  be  forgotten, 
however,  that  all  these  activities  had  their  birth  in  the 
Christian  impulse  and  have  been  conspicuously  absent 
in  non-Christian  lands  until  Christianity  has  intro- 
duced them. 

Neighborhood  and  Brotherhood.  The  churches  in 
any  community,  large  or  small,  are  the  only  organiza- 
tions that  are  able  to  minister  to  all  the  needs  of  the 
people.  They  should  not  only  care  for  the  souls  of 
men  but  be  interested  in  everything  that  makes  their 
bodies  strong  and  keeps  their  minds  in  process  of 
normal  development.  Their  sphere  of  work  combines 
the  neighborhood  and  the  brotherhood  ideas,  and  a 
church  imbued  with  both  of  these  is  ready  for  its  com- 
munity task. 

Not  all  the  churches  grasp  even  faintly  the  thought 
that  they  have  such  a  task.  Their  standards  of  effi- 
ciency vary,  and,  in  some  communities  where  the  phys- 
ical and  intellectual  ideals  are  low,  the  churches  do  not 
accept  their  duty  to  meet  all  the  needs  of  the  people. 
Is  the  church  that  strives  alone  to  save  the  souls  of 
men  and  bring  them  into  its  membership  doing  its 
whole  duty?  Does  not  the  revival  that  calls  converts 
into  the  fold  end  in  disaster  to  many  lives,  unless  the 
new  disciples  have  unfolded  to  them  that  the  Christian 
impulse  should  prove  its  presence  by  its  abounding  life 
in  the  community  ?  If  a  church  simply  shows  its  power 
in  public  services  large  or  small,  occasionally  or  fre- 


112  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

quently,  and  it  does  not  teach  its  members  the  joy  of 
private  service  in  revealing  Christ  in  their  hves,  it  is 
not  doing  much  to  make  the  community  Christian.  If 
it  finds  that  its  neighborhood  in  a  great  city,  or  in  a 
tOkwn,  or  in  a  village  neglects  its  ser\aces  and  does  not 
care  for  its  help,  what  may  one  infer?  If  a  few  kin- 
dred souls  near  the  meeting-house  attend  the  church 
and  maintain  it  and  do  not  reach  out,  both  far  and 
near,  to  solve  the  problem  of  the  community,  what  may 
one  conclude?  Although  a  church  ministers  to  people 
scattered  far  and  wide,  if  it  does  not  solve  community 
difficulties,  or  try  to  lift  the  burdens  that  oppress  men, 
or  prevent  conditions  that  destroy  the  youth  through 
intemperance  and  impurity,  it  only  partially  expresses 
the  spirit  of  its  Master. 

The  Three  Dimensions  of  a  Church.  A  true  church 
has  length,  breadth,  and  depth.  The  length  of  its  arm 
is  often  shortened  that  it  does  not  save,  and  its  hand 
may  become  palsied  if  it  fails  to  do  its  spiritual  work 
in  the  community.  Its  breadth  should  include  within 
the  sphere  of  its  influence  every  social  need,  and  noth- 
ing human  or  divine  should  be  alien  to  its  spirit.  The 
depth  of  a  church  is  its  reach  downward,  embracing  in 
its  largest  roots  and  in  its  tiniest  rootlets  a  grasp  upon 
the  profoundest  needs  of  the  entire  community. 

Four  Kinds  of  Church  Members.  The  variety  in 
the  membership  of  the  churches  constitutes  the  com- 
munity problem.  There  are  some  who  are  tireless; 
they  are  faithful,  generous,  even,  sane,  and  reliable. 
They  work  alone  or  with  others,  whether  men  approve 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  113 

or  criticize,  and  will  pull  at  any  load  on  the  steepest 
hill. 

In  contrast  with  them  are  the  tired  members.  These 
are  not  wearied  from  much  labor,  but  they  are  languid 
while  waiting  for  conditions  to  improve  before  they 
grasp  the  plow  or  join  in  the  planting  or  in  the  harvest- 
ing. They  sing  the  song  of  the  glorious  past,  but  al- 
ways in  a  minor  key. 

Another  group  that  makes  any  deep  work  impossible 
is  composed  of  the  retired  members  who  regard  their 
labor  as  done.  They  are  still  diligent  in  business,  but 
they  are  not  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord. 

The  wider  ministry  of  the  churches,  however,  is 
often  almost  ruined  by  certain  members  who  are  tire- 
some to  the  person  whom  they  must  help  if  they  are  to 
minister  to  more  than  the  elect  few  who  have  been 
reared  in  a  Christian  atmosphere.  Some  of  these  tire- 
some people  do  not  stand  high  in  the  esteem  of  those 
who  are  sometimes  called  "the  outsiders."  A  few 
churches,  it  is  feared,  have  so  much  of  this  deadwood 
type  of  members  that  it  is  almost  hopeless  to  attack  the 
community  tasks  and  to  do  them  well. 

The  Early  Molds.  The  permanent  character  of  a 
community  is  nearly  always  determined  by  its  first 
settlers.  If  the  leaders  were  men  of  Christian  ideas, 
the  whole  body  of  citizens  felt  the  influence  of  their 
courage  and  faith.  A  town  whose  foundations  were 
laid  by  persons  of  atheistic  tendencies  has  always  been 
cursed  by  the  handicap  of  the  visionless  men,  who  with 
irreligious  lives  retarded  the  higher  growth. 


114  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

In  the  same  way  churches  have  been  early  strength- 
ened by  the  piety  and  consecration  of  refined  men  and 
women,  or  have  been  weakened  by  the  secular  and 
careless  persons  who  were  their  first  members.  The 
plastic  clay  felt  the  impress  of  the  first  hands  that 
touched  it,  and  before  any  one  realized  it  set  into  per- 
manent forms.  The  testing  time  in  the  former  church 
comes  when  the  first  heroic  souls  die.  The  latter  church 
n>ay  yet  be  saved  in  spite  of  a  bad  start,  if  a  few  souls 
have  the  grace  and  courage  to  break  the  early  molds 
and  to  make  new  ones  in  which  the  spiritual  life  of  the 
people,  melted  by  the  divine  love,  may  find  its  social 
and  religious  setting. 

The  strong  church,  however,  may  have  its  life  al- 
most threatened  by  the  presence  of  persons  of  influ- 
ence who  have  retired  from  rural  or  city  activities  and 
who  are  opposed  to  all  new  and  aggressive  methods 
for  community  betterment.  Another  group  of  persons 
whom  it  is  difficult  to  stimulate  are  those  who  have 
business  interests  elsewhere  and  who  only  sleep  in 
the  Gommu-nity.  And  yet,  under  strong  leadership, 
churches  composed  of  both  these  classes  have  been 
aroused  to  a  forward  crusade  that  has  changed  the  face 
of  the  larger  parish. 

The  Ideal  Church.  This  is  not  only  located  in  a 
community,  but  is  also  exerting  its  influence  in  every 
part  of  its  life,  and  is  in  the  community  in  the  truest 
and  deepest  sense.  As  the  Rev.  Warren  H.  Wilson 
says,  it  is  the  one  institution  in  v^^hich  the  community 
has  a  home.     Such  a  church  always  keeps  its  spiritual 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  115 

aim  high  and  reaches  out  and  down  to  draw  in  and  lift 
up. 

A  Well-Balanced  Ideal.  The  Rev.  Worth  M.  Tippy 
speaks  of  his  conception  of  a  "church  filled  with  the 
spiritual  earnestness  and  living  faith  of  the  apostolic 
church,  but  planted  squarely  on  the  earth  with  its  out- 
look upon  the  oncoming  Christian  civilization ;  a  church 
open  to  truth;  a  church  unselfish,  fearless,  free;  a 
church  sympathetic  to  the  life  and  achievements  of 
humanity,  and  organized  as  a  fighting  unit  of  the  new 
social  order ;  .  .  .  a  church  with  generous  sympathies 
and  alert  vision,  carrying  the  community  in  its  heart, 
alive  to  all  that  makes  for  the  good  and  happiness  of 
its  city  or  countryside."  ^ 

High  Business  Standards 

A  church  in  a  community  must  stand  for  honesty  in 
business.  Short  weights;  seven  feet  of  wood  for  a 
cord;  poor  grade  of  turkeys  in  the  middle  of  a  crate 
of  good  ones ;  packing  the  middle  of  a  barrel  of  apples 
with  second-grade  fruit  while  first  quality  and  well 
colored  selections  are  at  either  end;  feeding  chickens 
with  meal  and  sand  before  they  are  sold ;  filling  larger 
fish  with  smaller  ones  before  they  are  sent  to  market; 
placing  eggs  held  over  from  the  summer  with  ship- 
ments in  the  winter  at  highest  prices ;  introducing  more 
water  than  is  allowed  by  the  law  in  butter,  and  selling 
as  fresh  butter  prints  that  which  was  purchased  in 
the  summer,  placed  in  cold  storage,  and  worked  over 

^The  Church  a  Community  Force,  i,  2. 


116  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

in  the  winter;  are  only  a  few  of  the  temptations  which 
come  to  persons  living  in  rural  communities  when  they 
deal  with  the  outer  world. 

A  wholesale  egg  merchant  has  said  that  the  eggs  of 
a  neighboring  state  bring  a  much  smaller  price  in  the 
market  than  eggs  collected  a  thousand  miles  away 
and  gathered  from  a  region  in  which  a  sense  of  busi- 
ness honor  is  much  higher.  The  deadening  moral 
effects  upon  children-  who  see  their  parents  resort  to 
these  dishonorable  methods  to  increase  the  family  in- 
comfe  is  not  the  least  among  the  evil  harvests  that  come 
to  a  community  in  which  such  schemes  are  practised. 
One  son,  who  drove  a  milk  team  for  a  father  standing 
high  in  the  esteem  of  all  his  neighbors,  has  never  re- 
covered from  the  moral  shock  of  the  years  when  he 
distributed  to  customers  his  father's  milk  from  which 
a  large  part  of  the  cream  had  already  been  taken  and 
sold  at  high  prices. 

In  urban  communities  there  is  constant  need  that 
stockholders  and  trustees  be  constantly  reminded  of 
their  responsibility  which  cannot  be  evaded,  and  that 
while  remaining  in  these  honorable  positions  they  must 
hold  themselves  personally  accountable  for  the  moral 
acts  of  their  agents,  whose  decisions  and  operations 
and  human  contacts  they  do  not  carefully  supervise. 

Dodging  Taxes  and  Fares.  The  evil  of  avoiding 
taxes  on  the  part  of  people  who  profess  to  be  not  only 
just  but  righteous  can  hardly  be  overemphasized.  To 
render  incorrect  reports  to  the  municipal  and  national 
authorities  is  rankly  dishonest  and  should  be  plainly 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  117 

denounced  as  an  act  unworthy  of  those  who  profess  to 
model  their  lives  after  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  The 
father  who  entered  an  electric  car  with  his  son  taught 
a  boy  of  twelve  years  of  age  a  lesson  which  may  later 
lead  him  to  prison,  when  he  has  learned  not  only  to 
avoid  the  payment  of  a  five-cent  fare  but  the  evasion 
of  taxes  and  other  honest  obligations. 

Puncturing  Superficial  Distinctions.  It  should  hold 
up  to  the  search-light  the  inconsistency  of  the  man 
who  is  opposed  to  smoking,  but  who  leases  land  to  a 
tobacco  factory  and  obtains  a  high  incorne  on  a  farm 
which  he  rents  to  a  stranger  for  raising  tobacco  which 
he  himself  would  not  plant. 

A  church  should  show  the  poor  logic  of  the  man 
who  condemns  drinking,  but  trades  in  distillery  stocks ; 
who  forbids  dancing,  but  lets  a  hall  for  dancing  parties ; 
who  denounces  liquor  selling,  but  has  some  excuse  for 
the  man  who  keeps  a  saloon  in  a  building  on  which  he 
himself  holds  a  mortgage;  who  opposes  breweries,  but 
feeds  malt  to  his  cattle;  who  will  not  purchase  a  Sun- 
day paper,  but  who  buys  ice-cream  and  soda  at  a  drug 
store  on  the  Lord's  day ;  who  will  not  take  a  stroll 
through  the  woods  on  Sunday,  but  who  always  starts 
on  a  journey  late  Saturday  night;  who  criticizes  cor- 
porations for  compelling  their  workmen  to  labor  long 
hours,  but  who  makes  his  farm-hands  work  from  sun- 
rise to  sunset. 

Opposing  Selfish  Advantage.  The  church  should 
takcthigh  ground  against  any  attempts  to  influence  leg- 
islation  for   personal   enrichment   and    for   corporate 


118  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

benefit.  The  man  who  returned  from  the  legislature 
with  fifteen  hundred  dollars  in  his  possession  and 
soon  after  removed  the  mortgage  from  his  farm  must 
have  had  an  unquiet  conscience  during  the  rest  of  his 
life.  The  church  should  insist  on  consistency  between 
one's  business  ideals  and  his  private  acts.  The  liquor 
dealers  in  a  great  city  who  live  in  a  suburb  and  dwell 
in  beautiful  homes  and  constantly  vote  for  no  license, 
pride  themselves  on  the  high  moral  character  of  the 
town.  For  a  man  who  has  a  business  injurious  to 
others  and  takes  an  attitude  toward  residents  in  the 
city  in  proximity  to  his  factory  which  he  would  oppose 
if  repeated  near  his  home,  is  guilty  of  a  selfishness  the 
evil  outlines  of  which  should  be  made  plain  by  teach- 
ers of  religion. 

Philanthropic  and  Improving  Measures 

Care  for  Defectives.  Another  feature  of  the  educa- 
tional work  of  a  church  is  to  care  for  the  moral  defec- 
tives in  the  community.  Many  years  ago  in  a  rural 
parish  a  little  girl  was  presented  for  membership  by 
the  pastor  to  a  committee  representing  the  church. 
Strong  objection  was  at  once  raised  against  encourag- 
ing the  child  to  be  baptized.  It  was  stated  that  her 
family  were  shiftless  people  and  that  to  introduce  her 
ino  the  social  life  of  the  parish  would  at  once  single 
her  out  as  a  defective.  The  committee  insisted  that 
from  such  unpromising  material  a  Christian  character 
probably  would  not  be  developed.  The  pastor  told  them 
that  the  moral  condition  of  certain   families   in   the 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH     119 

community  was  a  standing  rebuke  to  the  church,  which 
had  never  tried  in  any  way  to  minister  to  their  spir- 
itual improvement,  and  bluntly  said  to  them  that  they 
would  receive  the  child  into  membership  or  have  his 
immediate  resignation.     The  pastor  won  the  battle. 

Thirty-five  years  after  this  scene  occurred,  at  the 
end  of  an  evening  preaching  service  in  a  city  far  away, 
a  well-dressed  woman  introduced  herself  to  this  same 
minister,  then  an  aged  man.  Something  in  her  face 
reminded  him  of  an  earlier  day,  for  she  was  once  the 
little  girl  for  whom  he  had  pleaded  so  long  ago.  The 
picture  of  that  early  struggle  came  quickly  to  his  mind, 
and  he  was  standing  again  in  the  village  vestry  laying 
down  the  commandments  of  God  concerning  the  treat- 
ment of  little  children  to  the  timid  leaders  of  his  con- 
gregation. Then  she  told  him  the  thrilling  story  of 
her  life,  which  showed  that  as  a  little  child  she  had  led 
her  family  into  the  church  and  then  later,  well  estab- 
lished in  a  Christian  home  of  her  own,  with  wealth  at 
her  command,  and  with  beautiful  children  about  the 
family  altar,  she  was  bringing  forth  a  splendid  harvest 
of  the  finest  wheat.  She  had  just  visited  two  of  her 
daughters,  who  were  winning  honors  in  college. 

Saves  the  Delinquents.  The  local  church  must  also 
reach  after  the  delinquents  among  its  membership  and 
educate  the  young  people  to  see  the  value  of  its  life 
and  teaching.  In  one  rural  community,  the  pastor 
organized  a  brigade  of  boys  who  were  outside  the  Bible 
school.  Into  it  as  a  leaven  were  introduced  a  few 
whose  characters  were  established.     A  camp  near  the 


120  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

ocean  was  built  and  was  the  talk  of  the  town.  The 
extent  to  which  the  boys  were  helped  was  the  surprise 
of  the  season  and  no  barriers  could  later  keep  them 
from  the  meetings  of  the  church.  Their  parents  were 
also  impressed  and  the  grip  of  the  minister  on  the 
town  was  greatly  strengthened. 

Another  pastor  formed  a  camera  club  of  boys 
slightly  interested  in  his  work  and  hunted  for  the  pic- 
tures of  birds,  which  were  studied  and  described  in 
note-books.  Incidentally  as  a  result  of  these  outings 
one  boy  became  a  prosperous  photographer,  another  an 
author,  and  another  an  artist. 

Another  minister  led  careless  children  to  study  flow- 
ers, until  some  learned  to  identify  more  than  sixty 
kinds.  This  field  work  was  joined  to  a  study  of  the 
flowers  mentioned  in  the  Bible  and  taught  the  boys  and 
girls  the  habit  of  Scripture  reading. 

Helps  the  Friendless.  The  right  kind  of  a  com- 
munity church  stretches  out  its  hand  with  an  educa- 
tional impulse  to  the  friendless  youth.  It  must  do  this 
through  some  individual  who  is  filled  with  the  Christ- 
like spirit.  In  a  city  in  New  York  state  a  business 
man  found  a  boy  whose  home  was  in  the  street.  To 
take  this  boy  from  such  an  environment  and  to  bring 
him  into  the  Sunday-school,  winning  his  friendship, 
improving  his  social  condition,  securing  work  for  him, 
and  being  his  big  brother  until  he  became  a  Christian, 
was  what  this  good  man  did.  He  advised  him  until 
he  established  a  home.  Later  he  watched  him  develop 
a  prosperous  business  and  grow  in  leadership  in  the 


CIIUIICII    UF    THE    ASCENSION    ATHLETIC    CLTB.    M:\V    YoRK 
MULBERRY    BUSH    GANG.    NEW    YORK 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  121 

church  by  whose  helpful  ministry  he  was  saved  from 
the  street.  Such  an  achievement  is  only  explained  by 
the  loving  work  of  a  noble  man.  He  who  was  yester- 
day a  boy  in  the  street  is  now  one  of  the  most  generous 
givers  in  his  church  and  is  becoming  a  denominational 
leader. 

Friendly  to  Public  Schools.  A  natural  activity  of 
the  church  is  to  safeguard  the  ideals  of  the  public 
schools.  This  should  be  done  by  uniting  the  most  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  all  parties  in  securing  excellent 
men  and  women  to  serve  on  school  boards  or  com- 
mittees and  in  checkmating  party  politicians  in  their 
efforts  to  upset  the  moral  and  intellectual  standards  of 
the  people.  Such  a  group  of  self-seeking  and  evil  per- 
sons once  displaced  a  noble  Christian  high  school  prin- 
cipal, and  elected  a  man  who  was  often  under  the  in- 
fluence of  liquor.  More  than  one  opium  victim  has 
been  shielded  as  a  teacher  by  the  same  kind  of  polit- 
ical looters.  At  such  times  the  church  must  demand 
changes  and  encourage  its  leaders  to  rescue  their  chil- 
dren from  such  evil  influences. 

A  League  of  Helpers.  In  a  New  England  town,  a 
single  church  greatly  interested  the  people  in  its  com- 
munity ideals.  A  group  of  ten  men  who  were  not  at 
that  time  in  its  membership,  but  whose  lives  were  much 
enriched  by  its  ministry,  formed  a  league  to  care  for 
its  interests  in  any  way  in  their  power.  One  of  these 
was  chosen  the  chairman  of  the  school  committee  and 
selected  as  the  high  school  principal  a  woman  of  the 
finest  Christian  type. 


122  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

In  applying  to  a  college  president  for  a  woman  to 
take  the  position,  he  said :  "I  regret  to  say  that  I  am 
not  a  professing  Christian,  but  our  new  teacher  must 
be  one  and  become  a  leader  in  our  church  and  in  its 
Bible  school.  We  will  not  permit  a  person  of  another 
type  to  teach  our  children.  We  have  had  sad  expe- 
riences, and  all  the  best  men  in  our  town,  whether 
members  of  the  church  or  not,  feel  exactly  as  I  do. 

"Our  community  church  is  shortly  to  be  the  best 
repaired  building  in  town  and  is  to  have  a  well-kept 
lawn  about  it  and  flower  beds  and  a  village  playground 
for  children  on  one  side.  Not  far  away  we  are  making 
an  athletic  field.  We  have  begun  to  see  a  few  miles 
ahead  for  the  young  people.  The  saloons  have  gone, 
and  the  pleasures  that  the  people  almost  went  mad 
over  are  drowned  in  the  sea  of  forget  fulness,  and  all 
because  a  minister  who  is  a  human  being  and  a  spir- 
itual giant,  and  a  social  enthusiast  has  come  to  live 
among  us.  Yes,  without  doubt  he  will  draw  us  by  his 
hidden  silken  cords  into  the  church,  but  just  at  pres- 
ent we  are  trying  to  Christianize  our  pagan  public 
schools." 

The  Bible  in  the  Schools.  The  movement  to  co- 
ordinate the  instruction  in  the  Bible  given  by  a  church 
with  instruction  in  other  branches  given  by  a  school 
in  a  community,  allowing  Bible  study  to  count  as  a 
course  in  the  curriculum,  is  being  studied  by  educators 
in  order  that  the  literature  of  the  Scriptures,  now  so 
painfully  neglected,  may  register  its  moral  values  in  the 
lives  of  the  youth  of  the  land.     The  results  of  these 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  123 

investigations  and  the  places  in  which  this  arrangement 
has  been  effected,  will  be  studied  with  a  growing  inter- 
est and  may  lead  to  a  wider  outreach  of  the  spiritual 
forces  of  a  town. 

An  Educational  Contrast.  A  part  of  the  Christian 
leadership  of  a  church  is  to  discover  diamonds  in  the 
rough  and  hidden  values  in  young  people  who  should 
go  to  the  higher  schools  and  be  trained  for  wider  lives 
in  the  professional  and  business  world.  One  of  the 
significant  facts  is  that  out  of  one  congregation  a 
steady  stream  of  young  people  pass  to  colleges  and 
great  spheres  of  usefulness,  while  from  another  church, 
situated  in  a  similar  way,  and  with  the  same  environ- 
ment, it  is  the  exception  that  any  one  goes  to  higher 
institutions  of  learning.    What  is  the  reason  for  this  ? 

Stimulates  Industries.  A  normal  result  of  such 
education  is  in  the  stimulus  given  to  industry  in  the 
town.  In  one  community  the  leading  man  in  the  parish 
established  a  creamery  and  with  a  group  of  his  friends 
loaned  several  thousand  dollars  to  farmers  with  which 
they  might  purchase  cows,  with  the  agreement  that 
one  half  of  the  money  paid  for  the  milk  and  cream 
should  be  kept  by  the  company  to  pay  for  the  advance 
made  on  the  herds  of  cattle.  In  a  very  short  time  the 
farms  were  well  stocked  with  a  fine  breed  of  cows  for 
which  full  payment  had  been  made.  The  community 
at  once  enjoyed  a  new  prosperity,  the  single  church  in 
the  town  called  a  strong  man  to  its  pastorate,  a  revival 
resulted,  the  schools  were  improved  and  their  stand- 
ard greatly  raised,  temperance  laws  were  enforced,  the 


124  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

church  edifices  and  other  property  took  on  new  fresh- 
ness, and  all  because  a  few  men  had  a  vision  that  the 
temporal,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  success  of  a  com- 
munity was  bound  up  in  the  same  bundle  of  life. 

Impartial  to  Labor  and  Capital.  A  church  should 
be  absolutely  impartial  in  its  attitude  toward  labor 
and  capital.  It  has  been  suggested  that  labor  unions 
should  be  invited  to  hold  meetings  in  its  vestry.  The 
people  who  stand  for  righteousness  should  manifest 
an  even  fairness  to  all  parties.  Fair  play  should  be 
the  watchword.  Probably  the  exceptions  where  it  is 
not  are  few,  and  these  should  be  avoided. 

Democracy  as  evolved  from  Christianity  simply 
means  that  every  man  must  have  liberty  to  work,  to 
live,  and  to  aspire.  Organization  is  natural  and  is 
simply  the  fruitage  of  recognized  leadership.  Personal 
initiative  stimulates  efficiency.  Those  of  common  in- 
terest flock  together.  This  is  true  of  the  employers 
and  the  employed.  In  the  churches  both  groups  are 
represented  and  will  dwell  in  the  Lord's  house  in 
peace.  The  sense  of  brotherhood  debars  strife  and 
demands  the  upward  path  for  all.  Contests  between 
units  of  laborers  or  capitalists  are  only  temporary  and 
cannot  prevail.  All  differences  will  soon  be  arbitrated. 
Industrial  compulsion  is  as  dangerous  as  coercion  in 
religion.  Personal  liberty  means  business  liberty  and 
is  a  sure  product  of  religious  liberty.  In  America  no 
man  can  say,  "You  must  worship  God  as  I  do  or  you 
cannot  worship  him  at  all."  And  no  man  should  say, 
"You  must  work  with  me,  or  as  I  work,  or  for  a  wage 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  125 

which  I  approve,  or  you  cannot  work."  In  a  land  of 
hberty  it  must  be  impossible  for  any  one  to  declare, 
"You  must  use  my  methods  and  imitate  my  example 
and  trade  with  my  correspondents  or  you  cannot  con- 
duct business."  The  axioms  of  democracy  are  the 
corollaries  of  Christianity. 

A  church  may  well  sweeten  the  industrial  life  within 
its  reach  by  affording  pleasant  Sunday  afternoon  ser- 
vices to  those  to  whom  the  day  is  a  period  of  temptation 
and  homeless  wanderings.  It  is  fortunate  if  the  church 
can  also  furnish  a  place  for  free  discussion  of  public 
and  industrial  questions  as  is  done  at  the  Ford  Hall 
meetings  in  Boston  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  George 
W.  Coleman,  who  is  at  once  a  leading  factor  in  a  great 
corporation  employing  labor  and  an  advocate  of  impar- 
tial discussion  of  all  civic,  political,  and  rehgious  sub- 
jects. 

Ethical  Investment  of  Funds.  The  church  ought  to 
insist  on  an  ethical  investment  of  its  own  endowment 
funds  if  it  is  so  fortunate  as  to  have  them  and  teach 
its  members  that  in  their  investments  they  should  not 
directly  give  their  sanction  to  lines  of  business  and 
worldly  enterprises  which  constantly  disregard  the 
golden  rule  and  occasionally  are  discovered  to  have 
evaded  the  law.  The  church  may  well  consider  it  a 
part  of  its  divine  mission  to  puncture  all  superficial 
distinctions  which  men  and  women  hold  concerning 
ethical  standards. 

The  Church.  The  church  should  safeguard,  sim- 
plify, and  brighten  the  social  life.     It  is  a  reproach  to 


126  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

the  Christian  people  if  games,  entertainments,  clubs, 
Hterary,  art  and  musical  societies  cannot  be  made  so 
attractive  that  the  young  people  will  not  feel  the  lack 
of  the  coarser  and  more  careless  amusements.  Again 
and  again  a  church  has  been  so  ably  led  that  within  a 
single  season,  by  the  new  and  wholesome  pleasures  it 
has  arranged,  the  people  young  and  old  have  lost  their 
appetite  for  the  lesser  things  which  they  had  pursued 
because  they  possessed  nothing  more  satisfying. 

Lifting  with  Others.  A  part  of  the  outreach  of  a 
church  is  to  assist  in  standardizing  the  local  charities 
and  to  mold  and  work  with  all  uplift  societies.  A  min- 
ister naturally  has  a  perfect  census  of  the  town  and  a 
card  catalog  containing  the  names  and  much  life  data 
of  the  leading  key  men  and  women  of  the  community. 
He  has  this  information  in  his  possession  because  he 
easily  secures  it  during  his  pastoral  contacts,  for  he 
considers  all  the  people  not  connected  with  any  church 
as  belonging  to  his  parish,  and  if  his  is  the  only  church, 
he  regards  all  the  people  as  his  own  and  has  all  of  their 
names. 

The  normal  church,  however,  not  only  emphasizes 
its  spiritual  message  and  its  transfiguring  power,  but 
reaches  out  into  every  kind  of  community  betterment : 
good  roads,  safe  sidewalks,  strong  bridges,  suitable 
fire  protection,  pleasure  grounds,  censorship  for  mov- 
ing picture  films,  and  public  improvements  which  taxa- 
tion cannot  make  possible.  One  man  who  gave  a 
schoolhouse  and  a  library  to  his  town  was  completely 
transformed  by  the  cultural  value  of  his  benefaction 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  127 

and  by  the  new  friendships  formed.  When  later  he 
lost  nearly  all  of  his  property,  this  philanthropist  real- 
ized that  his  real  wealth  could  not  be  taken  away  by 
fire  or  flood  or  a  panic  in  Wall  Street. 

Improving  the  Public  Conscience.  One  of  the  func- 
tions of  the  church  that  rises  to  the  high  task  of  broadly 
educating  a  community  is  to  improve  the  public  con- 
science by  showing  officials  the  sacredness  of  public 
office.  In  one  town  the  fire  department  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  board  of  fire  commissioners,  and  the  en- 
forcement of  the  prohibitory  law  was  placed  with 
a  board  of  police  commissioners.  One  night  the  fire 
department  failed  to  respond  promptly  to  a  call,  and 
many  lives  were  in  peril  because  the  firemen  would  not 
obey  their  chief.  The  people  were  horrified.  At  once 
the  board  of  fire  commissioners  carefully  investigated 
the  scandal  and  punished  the  offenders,  with  the  ap- 
plause of  the  citizens.  But  there  was  also  insubordina- 
tion, or  worse,  in  the  police  department,  because  the 
police  commissioners  allowed  tlie  saloons  to  be  open 
and  unmolested,  and  thereby  endangered  the  morals  of 
the  young  people  while  they  were  helping  to  destroy 
the  older  inhabitants  and  to  degrade  personal  and 
family  life.  In  one  of  the  hotels  operating  a  saloon, 
high  school  boys  and  girls  were  found  drinking. 

The  minister  who  asked  publicly  from  his  pulpit 
whether  the  police  commissioners  could  not  learn  a 
lesson  from  the  fire  commissioners  had  at  once  the  at- 
tention of  all  right-minded  citizens.  Soon  the  police 
commissioners  had  to  face  a  storm  that  quickly  burst 


128  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

without  mercy  on  their  unprotected  heads.  The  people 
are  logical  even  if  for  a  season  they  are  sometimes 
blind  and  deaf  and  obsessed  with  commercialism. 

The  church  should  also  educate  the  community  to 
see  the  iniquity  of  the  saloon,  should  develop  in  the 
young  the  feeling  of  kindness  to  animals,  should  urge 
men  to  build  warm  and  well-ventilated  barns  and  to 
erect  horse-sheds  around  the  church,  relieving  its  mem- 
bers from  the  peril  of  prosecution  by  the  humane 
societies. 

In  Personal  Consistency.  Some  persons  insist  on 
social  betterments  in  large  cities  and  in  private  and 
public  address  loudly  denounce  soulless  corporations 
and  selfish  capitalists  in  general  for  high  rentals  of 
poor,  ill  ventilated  tenements  in  congested  urban 
centers.  A  closer  inspection  of  the  practises  of  these 
critics  in  the  towns  where  they  live  often  shows  that 
they  may  well  improve  the  sanitation  of  the  houses 
that  they  rent  and  should  at  once  throw  their  influence 
with  the  industrial  reformers  nearer  home.  It  is  easy 
to  blow  a  trumpet  calling  attention  to  the  iniquities  of 
others  and  to  make  so  much  noise  that  one  does  not 
hear  the  still  small  voice  of  conscience  condemning  his 
own  unjust  acts.  One  of  the  most  indignant  men  one 
could  ever  meet  was  a  man  from  the  North  who  was 
condemning  the  people  of  the  South  for  their  treat- 
ment of  Negroes.  It  was  later  discovered,  however, 
that  this  same  man  owned  very  cheap  unsanitary  build- 
ings which  he  rented  at  exorbitant  rates  to  the  colored 
people  of  a  Southern  city.     These  houses,  or  more 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  129 

accurately  speaking  cheap  shacks,  were  built  through 
an  agent,  who  collected  the  rents  and  made  sure  of 
their  payment  by  a  process  that  would  not  bear  inspec- 
tion. 

The  New  Protestantism.  It  is  also  the  privilege  of 
the  church  in  a  community  to  listen  to  the  voices  of 
rich  and  poor  alike  who  are  calling  insistently  for 
a  Christianization  of  the  social  and  industrial  order. 
The  voices  of  these  who  make  such  complaints  are 
speaking  the  messages  of  the  new  Protestantism.  Shall 
the  churches  refuse  to  listen  and  refuse  to  adjust  as 
far  as  possible  their  aims  to  the  new  industrial  and 
social  ideals,  or  will  they  repeat  the  mistake  of  the  relig- 
ious body  that  failed  to  hear  the  warning  voices  of 
the  reformers  four  centuries  ago?  If  the  social  and 
industrial  order  after  a  full  and  impartial  study  should 
he  changed  in  part  or  to  a  great  extent  and  if  the  spirit 
of  individualism  should  give  place  to  wider  coopera- 
tion and  fraternal  relationship,  the  church  in  a  com- 
munity should  be  the  first  to  see  what  justice  demands, 
what  honor  requires,  and  what  the  Christian  spirit 
dictates.  It  is  not  a  time  to  put  a  patch  on  the  old  gar- 
ment but  to  put  new  wine  into  new  bottles.  A  frank, 
sincere,  and  impartial  study  of  industrial  condi- 
tions in  any  community,  which  brings  labor  leaders 
and  capitalists  together  in  fraternal  conference  under 
the  roof  of  a  Christian  church,  points  the  way  to  a 
happy  issue  out  of  many  social  and  industrial  perplex- 
ities. 

The  Church  and  Civic  Righteousness.     A  church 


130  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

cannot  calmly  trust  a  community  to  maintain  itself 
without  the  aid  of  moral  stimulus.  Society  is  a  garden, 
which  fills  with  weeds  if  not  tended  carefully,  and 
which  yields  no  crop  unless  its.  soil  is  enriched.  A  com- 
munity will  not  produce  moral  dividends  unless  it  is 
fed  with  spiritual  truth,  any  more  than  a  cow  will  give 
milk  if  it  is  not  given  proper  food.  There  are  no 
virgin  soil  communities  that  can  be  cropped  for  one  or 
many  decades  without  spiritual  renewal.  A  society 
that  is  not  canstantly  energized  by  regenerated  lives 
will  surely  degenerate.  The  local  church  must  stand 
for  civic  righteousness  and  overcome  evil  with  good 
by  injecting  new  spiritual  life  into  the  community.  N 
religious  awakening,  that  comes  when  a  group  of  good 
men  take  high  ground,  with  hearts  filled  with  the  ozone 
of  a  true  reform  of  local  conditions,  always  starts 
a  movement  that  may  even  save  a  town  in  a  day  when 
a  decision  is  reached  which  points  to  the  upward  path. 
In  its  contests  for  civic  righteousness  the  final  ad- 
vantage of  the  battle  is  always  with  the  forces  of  good- 
ness, for  sin  weakens  and  destroys  men,  and  righteous 
citizens  outlive  the  selfish,  wicked  enemies  of  purity, 
temperance,  and  honor.  They  who  take  the  sword 
perish  with  the  sword.  Few  blackhearted  men  have 
white  hair.     Evil  makes  impotent  its  promoters. 

New  Religious  Cooperation 

The  Relation  of  the   Church  to  Non-Protestants. 

Large  numbers  of  Jews  are  perplexed  not  only  con- 
cerning their  own  attitude  toward  Christianity  but 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  131 

especially  concerning  the  religious  instruction  which 
they  should  give  their  children.  A  college  professor 
who  instructed  his  executor  to  have  his  son  taught  both 
the  Hebrew  and  Christian  religions,  that  he  might  de- 
cide for  himself,  reveals  the  thought  of  many  modem 
Israelites. 

The  bewilderment  of  many  people  who  have 
broken  with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  who  do 
not  understand  the  simple  and  transparent  teachings 
of  Protestantism,  should  call  for  the  compassion  of  all 
who  have  the  secret  of  the  Lord's  presence  in  their  lives. 
The  local  church  should  make  all  the  people  of  the 
community  feel  that  they  are  welcome  to  its  services. 
Few  Roman  Catholics  who  are  loyal  to  their  religious 
leading  will  attend,  but  the  perplexed  Jews  and  the 
bewildered  foreigners  and  many  neglected  Americans 
will  be  found  in  the  Protestant  meeting-house,  if 
their  presence  is  desired  and  encouraged.  To  interpret 
by  correct  living,  by  industrial  saneness,  and  by  social 
and  civic  righteousness  to  those  who  stand  outside  the 
churches  the  transforming  power- of  a  pure  Christian- 
ity is  one  of  the  functions  and  privileges  of  a  church 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

United  Effort  for  Community  Betterment.  The  ex- 
tent to  which  all  the  religious  forces  in  a  community 
can  work  together  for  its  moral  uplift  must  be  a  matter 
of  experiment,  but  should  also  be  a  subject  for  most 
careful  thought  and  planning.  Memorial  day  services 
show  that  this  is  possible.  The  degree  to  which  coop- 
eration is  improving  -the  mc?ral  condition,  through  the 


132  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

enforcement  of  prohibition  and  the  enactment  of  pre- 
ventive legislation  in  certain  states  and  in  narrower 
regions,  suggests  the  wisdom  of  united  endeavors  to 
check  and  destroy  the  social  evil  and  other  related 
forms  of  wickedness.  It  is  quite  within  the  possibil- 
ities for  the  religious  forces  of  a  town  to  extend  legis- 
lation that  looks  to  improvement  in  industrial  condi- 
tions and  to  such  social  changes  as  uniformity  of  the 
divorce  laws  would  bring.  In  a  community  in  Illinois 
a  peace  service  was  held  on  Thanksgiving  day,  at  which 
representatives  of  several  Protestant  churches,  of  the 
Jewish  synagogue,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  church" 
joined  in  the  public  assembly  which  emphasized  local 
righteousness  and  the  world-wide  freedom  from  war 
and  other  evils.  If  such  a  day  gave  opportunity  for 
religious  controversy  or  in  any  way  compromised  the 
spiritual  convictions  of  any  who  were  present  it  should 
not  be  repeated,  but,  if  it  made  every  one  present  real- 
ize the  enormity  of  the  social  evil,  the  havoc  of  divorce 
legislation,  the  sin  of  intemperance,  and  the  terrible 
ravages  of  war,  who  will  say  that  impressions  for  right- 
eousness were  not  received  which  may  awake  to  con- 
sciousness the  soul  of  another  Lincoln,  who  in  the  hour 
of  national  or  world  crisis  may  point  the  way  of  escape 
from  one  or  more  of  our  social  evils  ? 

The  Relation  to  other  Evangelical  Churches.  Oc- 
casional Sunday  evening  union  meetings  will  do  much 
toward  bringing  the  people  to  realize  the  unity  of  their 
spiritual  aims  and  their  mutual  responsibilities  in  the 
community.    Union  evangelistic  services,  sanely  led  by 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  133 

some  gifted  evangelist,  by  some  neighboring  pastor, 
or  by  the  ministers  themselves,  have  in  them  great  pos- 
sibilities of  good  and  in  the  future  as  in  the  past  will 
yield  only  blessings  to  individuals,  inspiration  to 
families,  and  improvement  of  the  social,  industrial,  and 
civic  conditions  within  the  borders  of  the  town.  Dr. 
Henry  L.  Morehouse  in  a  recent  notable  address  has 
said  that  the  local  church  should  have  for  its  motto 
in  its  relation  with  other  churches  in  the  community 
these  words :  "Work  together  where  we  can  and  apart 
where  we  must."  These  are  the  words  of  a  Christian 
statesman  who  believes  strongly  in  denominational 
efficiency,  loyalty,  and  initiative. 

By-Products  Are  Real  Products.  When  men  began 
to  manufacture  illuminating  gas  the  effort  of  the  com- 
panies was  to  produce  the  largest  amount  of  light  from 
the  least  amount  of  coal.  One  of  the  substances  re- 
maining was  coal  tar.  Out  of  this  material  have  since 
come  anilin  dyes,  medicinal  remedies,  saccharin,  and 
numberless  other  invaluable  substances.  The  processes 
of  their  manufacture  are  parts  of  one  great  whole 
which  have  resulted  from  the  effort  to  liberate 
the  sunlight  stored  up  in  coal.  Without  doubt  many 
wiho  are  engaged  in  what  have  been  called  by-products 
forget  that  there  is  any  cormectio-n  between  their  busi- 
ness and  the  process  by  which  light  is  liberated  from 
coal.  The  relation  however  exists  and  in  the  truest 
sense  these  by-products  are  real  products  and  primary 
products. 

Jesus  said  to  his  disciples,  "I  am  the  light  of  the 


134  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

world,"  but  he  did  not  explain  the  full  bearing  of  the 
message.  This  cannot  be  entirely  comprehended  even 
to-day.  The  Master  was  silent  about  great  philan- 
thropic enterprises,  about  education,  about  certain  evils 
that  ate  like  a  canker  into  the  social  life  of  the  ancient 
world.  He  had  nothing  to  say  about  pure  govern- 
ment or  the  rights  of  woman,  but  wherever  his  gospel 
has  gone  and  the  light  of  his  word  has  penetrated, 
philanthropy  of  a  thousand  kinds,  education  of  count- 
less varieties,  and  pure  government  have  been  estab- 
lished. Slavery  also  and  other  forms  of  social  wrong 
have  been  destroyed  or  violently  attacked,  and  woman 
has  come  to  her  kingdom.  Doubtless  many  who  are 
devoting  their  lives  to  philanthropy  and  are  interested 
in  education  or  the  extension  of  human  liberty,  or  are 
giving  their  lives  to  civic  improvements  and  normal 
government  and  earnestly  advocating  the  rights  of 
woman,  have  forgotten  or  perhaps  have  never  realized 
the  immediate  connection  between  their  vocations  and 
the  gospel  of  Christ.  Their  failure  to  grasp  the  rela- 
tionship, however,  does  not  make  it  less  real.  The 
blessings  that  have  followed  in  the  wake  of  Chris- 
tianity are  considered  its  social  products  but  are  so 
wrapped  up  in  the  bundle  of  its  divine  life,  that  in  the 
truest  sense  they  are  its  direct  and  primai-y  fruitage. 

The  church  in  a  local  community  comes  to  its  normal 
development  when  it  seeks  first  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  its  righteousness,  laying  the  emphasis  upon  the 
forgiveness  of  sins,  the  regeneration  of  life,  and  the 
divine  companionship.     But,  if  it  stops  here,  it  fails 


THE  REACH  OF  THE  LOCAL  CHURCH  135 

to  reach  as  far  as  the  gospel  of  Christ  stretches  out  its 
helpful  hand.  In  the  ways  enumerated  in  this  chapter 
and  in  many  other  directions  which  the  Christian  heart 
and  mind  may  easily  follow,  the  church  in  a  com- 
munity must  walk  with  its  feet  shod  with  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  gospel  of  peace.  A  local  church  lives  to 
reflect  the  glory  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  its  com- 
munity. As  light  passing  through  a  prism  is  broken 
into  the  various  colors  of  the  spectrum,  so  the  grace 
of  God  passing  through  the  life  of  a  church  must  prove 
its  presence  by  the  Christian  graces,  reflected  in  the 
personal,  social,  industrial,  and  civic  life  of  its  mem- 
bers. If  one  grace  be  lacking  in  a  character,  it  has 
not  received  all  that  the  grace  of  Grod  can  give  to  it, 
and  a  church  made  up  of  such  characters  cannot  fully 
reveal  the  grace  of  the  Master,  any  more  than  the 
colors  of  the  spectrum  can  be  reunited  into  white  light, 
when  one  color  has  been  snatched  from  it.  Jesus  also 
said  to  his  disciples,  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world." 
These  words  have  in  them  all  the  inspiration,  entreaty, 
love,  and  dynamic  which  any  church  can  ever  need  to 
enable  it  to  fashion  an  ideal  community  of  the  saints 
of  God. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION 


VI 

THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION 

The  local  church  is  related  to  other  churches  of  its 
denomination  in  convenient  geographical  cooperation. 
At  first  these  churches  united  for  mutual  benefit,  inspi- 
ration, and  extension  of  their  borders,  covering  wide 
areas.  As  the  population  has  grown  more  dense,  the 
lines  of  associations,  conferences,  conventions,  synods, 
and  dioceses  have  contracted.  As  the  nation  has  grown 
and  methods  of  intercommunication  have  increased  the 
smaller  groups  of  churches  found  intercommunication 
easy  and  very  early  the  mission  societies  of  the  various 
denominations  came  to  embrace  in  their  field  of  Chris- 
tian operations  the  entire  country  or  large  sections  of  it. 
Many  of  the  smaller  churches  have  contributed  leaders 
with  a  genius  for  organization  who  have  become  the 
administrators  of  these  larger  missionary  societies. 
With  its  own  great  missionary  organization  the  local 
church  is  tied  up  in  an  intimate  connection  and  assists 
by  its  gifts  and  influence  in  leavening  the  larger  body 
while  its  life  is  also  inspired  and  strengthened  by  inti- 
mate contact  with  it. 

The  Denominational  Dynamic.  A  local  church 
gains  a  widened  vision  by  its  association  with  the 
larger  missionary  organizations,  and  it  does  its  local 

139 


140  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

and  its  national  tasks  best  when  it  works  with  the  or- 
ganized life  of  the  denomination.  There  is  great  wis- 
dom in  the  words  of  the  Rev.  Warren  H.  Wilson: 
"Mongrel  churches  which  show  a  mixture  of  several 
denominations  in  their  ways  of  work  belong  to  no  order 
of  religion  and  are  weaker  than  any.  In  a  wide  study 
of  country  churches  it  has  been  found  that,  in  the 
greatest  number  of  instances,  the  churches  that  are  well 
organized  according  to  the  manner  and  form  of  their 
denomination  and  according  to  the  general  plan  and 
proposals  of  Christian  men  in  our  time,  prove  to  be  the 
best  churches." 

The  Church  Is  the  Center.  Each  church  by  its  gifts 
of  money,  missionaries,  sympathetic  interest,  and 
prayer  contributes  its  share  toward  the  Christianiza- 
tion  of  the  nation  made  possible  by  work  of  the  larger 
missionary,  education,  and  church  edifice  organiza- 
tions. Its  gifts  of  money  should  come  from  the  rich 
and  the  poor  alike,  and  should  be  collected  in  the  most 
approved  way  in  an  every  member  canvass  of  the  en- 
tire membership.  It  should  constantly  hold  up  before 
its  young  people  the  call  to  service  and  the  wider  spir- 
itual needs  of  the  nation,  and  should  encourage  the 
most  aspiring  of  its  devoted  young  people  to  prepare 
for  missionary  service  by  taking  thorough  courses  of 
study  in  Christian  institutions.  If  possible  a  mission- 
ary should  be  trained  in  the  denominational  colleges 
and  seminaries  with  whose  graduates  he  will  be  asso- 
ciated in  his  Christian  endeavors.  A  service  too  often 
forgotten,  but  a  contribution  which  will  yield  the  larg- 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  141 

est  results,  may  be  made  by  a  church  in  constantly  pray- 
ing for  the  men  and  women  who  have  gone  forth  from 
its  membership  into  the  wider  world  of  missionary 
labor.  If  letters  from  their  former  members  who  are 
engaged  in  missionary  work  can  be  framed  and  placed 
under  their  pictures  in  the  prayer  room  of  the  meeting- 
house, valuable  suggestions  will  be  made  to  the  boys 
and  girls  who  are  peering  into  the  future  and  wonder- 
ing if  they  themselves  may  not  be  called  of  God  to 
happy  missionary  tasks. 

The  numerous  smaller  missionary  groups  cooperat- 
ing with  national  boards  or  societies  find  the  burdens 
of  new  work  increasing  rapidly,  just  as  the  greater  or- 
ganizations find  their  missionaries  calling  for  larger 
appropriations  for  every  part  of  the  widespread  field. 
Many  of  the  missionary  organizations  embracing  areas 
covered  by  states  or  parts  thereof  now  have  acute  con- 
ditions caused  by  the  presence  of  foreigners,  and  there 
are  dangers  ahead  which  one  almost  fears  to  contem- 
plate. The  new  frontiers  caused  by  irrigation  and 
multiplied  by  the  national  groups  which  colonize  not 
only  in  the  cities  but  in  rural  territory,  the  reversion 
of  the  rural  communities  in  some  places  almost  to  pa- 
ganism, and  the  perils  of  commercialism  all  indicate 
long  tasks  and  probably  centuries  of  work  remaining 
for  the  great  missionary  organizations,  whose  fields  of 
operations  have  grown  with  the  nation  and  whose 
strength  has  increased  by  struggles  against  evil. 

Household  Words.  The  names  of  the  national  mis- 
sionar}-,  education,  publication,  and  Sunday-school  or- 


142  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

ganizations  have  become  household  words  and  are 
fondly  spoken  in  every  local  church  and  Christian 
home.  These  names  suggest  immensity,  the  wisdom 
of  ripened  years,  cumulative  force,  resourcefulness, 
initiative,  religious  statesmanship,  and  the  servant  who 
had  ten  talents.  These  societies  have  shared  their  bless- 
ings with  the  poor  man  at  the  nation's  gate.  They 
have  touched  the  man  leprous  with  sin  and  have  healed 
him.  They  have  divided  their  loaf  with  every  needy 
soul.  They  have  given  their  cloak  to  the  man  who 
asked  for  a  coat.  They  have  not  only  walked  the 
second  mile,  but  have  passed  the  milestones  of  many 
years  with  the  smaller  missionary  societies  that  could 
not  tread  the  dusty  path  of  service  alone.  They  have 
never  given  a  stone  when  asked  for  bread,  and  have 
stood  for  righteousness  in  personal,  family,  and  na- 
tional life.  They  have  been  entrusted  with  the  gifts 
of  the  wealthy  and  with  the  mites  of  the  widows  in  the 
local  churches.  The  rich,  while  living,  have  been  gen- 
erous to  these  national  boards,  and  have  left  their  gold 
to  them  when  they  have  died.  Their  friends  have  hon- 
ored these  organizations  with  life  investments  of  many 
millions  of  dollars  in  annuity  funds.  Their  constant 
study  is  to  show  a  wise  economy  in  the  administration 
of  their  work,  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  their  organ- 
izations, and  yearly  to  reap  the  fruit  that  shall  remain. 
The  intimate  relations  between  the  smaller  and  the 
larger  missionary  organizations  of  the  nation  make 
them  in  the  truest  sense  administrative  unities,  although 
the  wide  extent  of  the  territory  covered  by  their  Chris- 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  143 

tian  labors  has  naturally  evolved  the  present  organiza- 
tional forms. 

The  Thought  of  the  Givers.  Theoretically  and 
probably  practically  the  contributors  in  a  given  state 
to  the  work  of  a  national  home  mission  society  do  not 
make  their  offerings  with  the  thought  that  any  of  it 
will  return  to  them,  although  in  many  instances  they 
do  receive  appropriations  for  work  in  the  very  state 
from  which  the  offerings  are  sent.  The  same  amount 
of  gifts,  however,  could  seldom  be  raised  with  the 
single  appeal  as  with  the  national  appeal,  and  if  this 
were  occasionally  possible,  in  only  a  few  instances 
would  the  amount  given  by  a  state  for  national  mis- 
sions exactly  balance  the  sum  contributed  by  the  so- 
ciety for  the  work  within  the  narrower  limits.  The 
smaller  groups  of  churches  organized  in  state  units, 
therefore,  which  give  to  the  national  societies  more 
than  they  receive  for  their  local  missions  of  the  state 
will  always  need  the  equalizing  and  distributing  coop- 
eration of  their  own  national  society. 

It  would  be  difficult  for  the  churches  of  California 
for  example  to  take  an  annual  offering  for  home  mis- 
sion work  in  Connecticut  or  in  Arizona  or  in  any  other 
state.  Of  course  it  could  be  done  by  using  nearly 
every  Sunday  in  the  year  for  these  collections.  But 
the  churches  of  California  and  every  other  state  now 
accomplish  this  by  placing  their  gifts  in  the  hands  of 
the  national  mission  board  of  their  denomination 
through  whose  agency  each  lesser  missionary  agency 
helps  each  one  and  each  is  helped  by  all. 


144  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

The  Perpetual  Need.  We  may  well  wonder  how 
any  denomination  through  its  lesser  missionar)^  aux- 
iliaries could  have  grown  to  such  strength  had  it  not 
been  for  the  marvelous  power  of  its  national  society 
in  carrying  the  gospel  to  the  regions  beyond,  and  for 
its  ability  to  meet  every  contingency  of  national  life 
with  the  resourcefulness  made  possible  by  the  increas- 
ing gifts  of  its  trusting  and  widespread  constituency. 

These  great  national  missionary  organizations  will 
continue  to  have  an  increasing  share  of  responsibility 
in  all  the  vicissitudes  through  which  the  lesser  mission- 
ary agencies  may  pass.  In  the  future  as  in  the  past, 
its  officers  and  far-flung  lines  of  toilers  in  every  state 
will  note  from  their  watch-towers  every  emergency, 
arising  in  state  or  national  life,  and  will  be  prepared 
for  all  contingencies.  They  will  warn  others  of  ap- 
proaching storms  and  interpret  in  terms  of  Christian 
statesmanship  the  movements  of  the  foreign  peoples 
within  our  domain. 

These  societies  began  their  work  when  only  a  few 
souls  were  in  the  land,  and  will  perchance  still  be  ren- 
dering their  missionary  and  God-appointed  service 
among  two  hundred  or  five  hundred  million  or  more 
inhabitants,  who  may  some  day  live  within  our  national 
borders.  This  means  that  no  needy  part  of  the  land, 
however  suddenly  overwhelmed  by  new  and  painful 
conditions,  shall  lack  the  means  to  be  saved.  In  the 
strong  and  abounding  hfe  of  these  great  mission  boards, 
made  possible  by  the  gifts  of  the  local  churches,  is 
wrapped  up  the  success  and  welfare  of  all  the  smaller 


FIRST    BAPTIST    CHURCH.     SAN    FRANCISCO,     ERECTED     1849 
FIRST    BAPTIST    CHURCH.     SAN     FRANCISCO.     ERECTED     1910 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  145 

societies  as  is  the  prosperity  of  the  states  and  cities  of 
the  nation  wrapped  up  in  the  prosperity  of  the  nation 
itself. 

Shall  the  Churches  be  Prepared?  American  Chris- 
tianity must  be  ready  for  all  contingencies,  but  impend- 
ing changes  in  population  will  make  the  states  that 
thought  they  had  solved  their  larger  missionary  prob- 
lems change  their  methods  of  work.  Some  of  them, 
indeed,  will  need  increased  missionary  appropriations 
from  national  societies,  that  they  may  meet  these  new 
conditions  forced  upon  them  by  the  transformation 
into  foreign  colonies  of  their  former  American  rural 
communities.  During  the  strain  of  these  years  the 
assistance  of  the  stronger  minor  missionary  societies 
will  be  willingly  given  to  other  societies,  that  are  face 
to  face  with  new  conditions.  This  distribution,  how- 
ever, will  be  made,  as  in  the  past,  through  the  agency 
of  the  respective  national  home  missionary  organiza- 
tion. 

An  Agency  Working  with  God.  A  ^reat  mission 
society  is  not,  how'ever,  a  large  syphon,  receiving  and 
giving  the  same  amount,  a  mere  convenient  denomina- 
tional device  to  distribute  missionary  gifts  from  one 
part  of  the  country  to  another  and  allowing  them  to 
mingle  and  flow  blindly  without  intelligent  direction 
wherever  they  will.  It  is  not  only  a  reservoir  receiv- 
ing gifts,  that  naturally  flow  down  the  mountainsides, 
conducting  these  offerings  through  carefully  con- 
structed channels  to  remote  possessions.  It  is  also  a 
vast  national  irrigation  project  often  pushing  its  waters 


146  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

to  the  highest  altitudes.  Were  it  to  withdraw  its  gifts 
whole  states  would  thirst  for  the  water  of  life.  The 
national  society  is  a  wise  distributer  of  the  gifts  of  the 
strong  for  the  assistance  of  the  weak.  It  is  a  trustee, 
investing  talents  of  service  and  money  in  the  souls  of 
needy  men.  Such  a  board  solicits  gifts  from  all  who 
are  strong  and  prosperous  to-day  for  those  who  are 
unexpectedly  facing  reverses  and  who  see  a  work  which 
they  cannot  accomplish  without  the  assistance  of  others. 

It  is  the  loving  parent,  equally  interested  in  every 
member  of  the  large  and  widely  scattered  family,  as- 
sisting one  son  with  the  gift  of  another  son,  and  unit- 
ing all  in  the  education  and  success  of  the  younger  chil- 
dren, who  are  coming  later  to  their  strength.  It  sets 
the  growing  boy  up  in  business,  helps  him  plan  to  en- 
large his  noble  enterprise,  furnishes  him  capital  for  his 
important  ventures,  stimulating  his  faith,  his  industry, 
and  his  courage  till  he  is  able  to  face  the  battle  alone. 
It  then  lays  upon  him  the  obligation,  which  he  long 
since  has  felt,  of  playing  the  part  of  the  elder  brother 
to  the  younger  members  in  the  family,  who  are  to 
repeat  the  process  through  which  he  has  passed.  If, 
however,  calamity  suddenly  surprises  him,  the  society 
rushes  again  to  his  assistance. 

The  national  society  is  the  strong  bank,  with  firm 
lines  of  credit,  maintaining  the  even  distribution  of 
missionary  currency  that  gives  stability  to  all  church 
enterprises.  It  assists  in  the  day  of  harvest,  and,  when 
the  draft  is  long,  it  provides  for  the  distress  of  the 
workmen.     It   is  a  great  transcontinental,   interstate 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  147 

transportation  company,  which  sends  leaders  and  sup- 
plies for  the  opening  of  new  areas  and  for  the  inten- 
sive development  of  older  states.  It  is  a  national  pro- 
moter, watching  for  opportunities  hitherto  unseen  or 
neglected,  rushing  into  the  new  sections,  and  passing 
through  the  open  doors  to  Alaska,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico, 
the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  Mexico,  to  establish  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Lord  on  a  self-sustaining  basis. 

It  is  a  great  physician,  taking  supplies  of  medicine 
and  food  to  the  regions  where  the  inhabitants  are  in 
sudden  want  because  of  fire,  earthquake,  floods,  and 
stonns.  It  is  a  distributer  of  workmen  where  they  are 
needed  in  the  days  of  harvest  and  civil  commotion.  It 
is  the  architect  that  has  drawn  many  of  the  plans  of 
a  Christian  system  of  education  for  backward  peoples, 
for  church  edifice  extension,  and  for  the  work  of  those 
state  and  city  mission  societies  with  which  it  fruitfully 
cooperates. 

The  national  society  has  been  the  great  builder  of 
the  denomination;  and  has  erected  or  aided  in  erect- 
ing Christian  structures  that  line  the  pathway  of  the 
years  down  which  its  missionaries  have  been  walk- 
ing. It  has  been  a  great  and  wise  adviser  furnishing 
noble  and  consecrated  guides  to  those  who  have  been 
passing  through  the  wilderness  of  many  a  new  spir- 
itual adventure.  It  is  an  efficiency  expert,  and  its 
agents  have  seen  the  vision  of  the  whole  country  as  they 
have  planned  for  the  work  of  all  the  conventions  and 
city  mission  societies. 

Chains  of  Gold.    Our  missionary  organizations  bind 


148  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

US  together  with  chains  of  gold.  We  meet  at  our  great 
denominational  gatherings  and  are  conscious  of  vari- 
ous tendencies,  progressive  and  conservative.  Some 
are  more  cautious  than  others ;  a  few  would  rush  for- 
ward where  angels  fear  to  tread,  but  we  have  so  much 
in  common  that  we  do  not  and  cannot  break  ranks. 
While  we  are  toiling  at  our  individual  tasks,  we  gaze 
at  one  side  of  the  great  wide  mountain  of  our  work, 
until  we  almost  come  to  think  that  it  is  the  only  side 
that  the  mountain  has.  But  at  stated  periods  we  climb 
the  mountain  itself  and  look  down  upon  all  its  sides. 
Then  we  find  that  it  has  denominational  and  organ- 
izational unity,  and  the  missionary  vision  gives  us  a 
charity  that  "suffereth  long,  and  is  kind."  In  that  hour 
each  one  sees  the  other's  problem  in  the  national  labors 
of  his  great  society  through  which  each  part  helps 
every  other  part  to  do  its  work,  and  each  church  every 
other  church  to  realize  its  ideal  for  the  salvation  of  the 
nation  and  its  outlying  possessions. 

Visions  of  Work  Accomplished.  The  first  mission- 
aries of  the  national  societies  followed  the  frontiers 
westward  and  pressed  forward  until  the  Pacific  Ocean 
was  reached.  They  have  since  extended  their  activities 
to  Alaska,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Hawaii,  Mexico,  El 
Salvador,  and  elsewhere.  These  faithful  servants  of 
Christ  followed  the  men  into  the  lumber  and  mining 
camps,  explained  to  the  souls  gathering  in  lonely  places 
the  value  of  the  gold  that  never  faileth,  and  of  the  trees 
planted  by  the  river  of  God,  whose  leaves  do  not  fade. 
These  pioneer  preachers  watched  the  villages   grow 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  149 

into  cities  and  later  the  first  rude  meeting-houses  give 
place  to  stately  temples  of  worship.  These  brave 
men  and  women  fought  with  the  wild  beasts  of  atheism 
and  immorality  in  many  a  western  Ephesus,  and  saw 
the  forces  of  evil  retreat  and  the  people  of  the  Lord 
gain  the  mastery.  They  have  waged  long  and  patient 
war  against  Mormonism.  They  have  stood  for  total 
abstinence  and  for  the  sanctity  of  the  Christian  home, 
and  in  emphasizing  the  primary  doctrines  of  grace 
have  seen  the  social  products  of  Christianity  enrich  the 
country  with  the  blessings  of  a  Christian  civilization. 

The  letters  that  came  to  the  boards  from  these  noble 
men  early  led  to  the  making  of  annual  appropriations 
for  the  erection  of  church  buildings.  Many  thousands 
of  these  meeting-houses  stand  as  monuments  to  diligent 
and  faithful  work.  The  opportunities  which  the  local 
churches  have  had  in  contributing  offerings  for  church 
extension  work  have  been  constant,  and  the  invest- 
ments which  they  have  made  in  church  edifices  beyond 
their  own  parishes  have  bound  them  by  cords  of  love 
to  the  distant  missionary  churches. 

Gifts  for  Groups.  Very  early  the  work  among  the 
North  American  Indians  was  begun  in  a  large  and  vig- 
orous way.  Our  missionaries  have  seen  many  thou- 
sands of  Indians,  from  numerous  tribes,  slowly  emerge 
from  heathenism,  leaving  the  war-path  and  arraying 
themselves  with  the  peaceful  citizens  of  the  land. 
These  Indian  converts  have  shown  in  their  lives  Chris- 
tian virtues  deeply  implanted  in  their  hearts  by  the 
indwelling  love  of  God. 


150  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

In  the  midst  of  the  Civil  War  faithful  men  watched 
for  the  opportunity  to  provide  a  Christian  education 
for  the  leaders  of  the  Negro  race,  and  for  half  a  cen- 
tury devoted  men  and  women  of  the  North  and  South 
have  been  laboring  to  transmute  the  gifts  of  the 
churches  into  redeemed  and  efficient  Christian  char- 
acters. 

When  the  representatives  of  European  and  Asiatic 
nations  came  to  the  land,  the  missionaries  of  these  so- 
cieties stood  on  the  shore  eager  to  explain  to  them  the 
teachings  of  the  Scriptures  and  to  induct  them  into  the 
mysteries  of  faith. 

The  Agents  of  the  Church.  Hundreds  of  mission- 
aries have  been  trained  to  preach  the  gospel  to  these 
national  groups,  meeting-houses  have  been  built,  and 
training-schools  established  for  preparing  men  and 
women  to  serve  their  own  people.  In  Christianizing 
these  units  the  churches  directly  have  done  much, 
but  through  their  missionary  societies  have  done  more. 
The  national  organizations  found  their  missionary 
work  growing.  As  they  built  the  foundations  of  a 
Christian  civilization  in  the  newer  parts  of  the  country, 
they  saw  the  necessity  of  establishing  Christian  insti- 
tutions, which  have  been  widely  distributed  through- 
out the  nation.  The  education  societies  have  also  co- 
operated as  agents  of  the  churches  with  the  missionary 
organizations  in  an  intimate  way.  Neither  could  do  its 
work  without  the  other,  and  the  churches  have  made 
possible  these  advances  in  education  by  their  helpful 
connection  with  their  education  boards. 


BOOKER  T.   WASHINGTON 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  151 

As  the  foundations  were  laid  by  the  missionaries  and 
the  superstructures  were  reared  by  the  educational 
institutions,  it  followed  that  the  national  Sunday-school 
organizations,  publication  societies,  Bible  societies,  and 
the  religious  press  were  also  developed  through  the 
generous  contributions  of  the  churches.  It  must  be 
constantly  remembered  that  all  of  these  great  organ- 
izations are  the  agents  or  organized  activities  of  the 
churches  themselves  which  could  not  otherwise  have 
undertaken  this  wider  Christian  work. 

As  the  state  universities  have  developed  and  the 
young  people  of  Christian  training  have  naturally  at- 
tended them  in  larger  numbers,  the  churches,  through 
their  education  societies,  have  cooperated  in  the  build- 
ing of  denominational  guild  houses,  where  the  social 
and  the  spiritual  lives  of  their  members  have  been  fos- 
tered and  conserved.  All  these  agencies  of  a  national 
reach  are  made  possible  only  by  the  contributions  and 
sympathy  and  kindly  cooperation  of  the  local  bodies  of 
Christians  who  are  thus  personally  connected  with  these 
denominational  Christian  entei"prises.  A  church  that 
lives  unto  itself  alone  and  is  not  interested  in  extend- 
ing throughout  the  nation  Christian  principles  for 
which  it  exists  is  sowing  the  seeds  of  its  own  death. 
Anti-missionary  churches  are  a  misnomer.  Their 
history  shows  a  decline  in  membership  and  influence 
which  indicates  their  final  extinction. 

The  Restless  Procession.  Many  frontier  begin- 
nings were  seeming  failures,  for  the  new  converts  and 
the  Christian  leaders  moved  away  so  soon  that  the 


152  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

work  often  declined  and  sometimes  became  so  weak 
that  it  seemed  necessary  to  abandon  it.  The  brave  mis- 
sionaries preached  to  a  procession  of  restless,  west- 
ward-moving people.  The  prairie  schooners  that  had 
brought  them  were  ready  at  the  door,  and  the  men, 
after  harvesting  a  few  crops,  often  harnessed  their 
horses  to  their  wagons  and  faced  westward  again. 
And  yet,  in  many  of  these  halting  beginnings  in  places 
where  the  first  foundations  were  so  slowly  and  pain- 
fully laid,  the  walls  of  a  superb  Christian  community 
life  have  later  risen.  One  of  the  earliest  missionaries 
sent  to  Illinois  wrote  to  his  board  that  he  saw  no  pros- 
pect of  establishing  a  church  in  such  a  swamp,  and  yet 
there  Fort  Dearborn  grew  into  Chicago.  This  hero 
early  died  at  his  post,  but  not  before  he  laid  enduring 
foundations. 

The  Discoverers  of  Men.  What  became  of  these 
restless  ones  who  kept  moving  west  in  those  early  days, 
leaving  the  discouraged  Christian  workers  behind? 
Have  they  become  the  apostles  of  Christ  in  other 
places?  Did  they  not  drive  the  first  stakes  of  new 
church  tents  that  have  each  year  lengthened  their 
cords?  Was  not  their  training  worth  while?  Should 
not  the  church  that  discovers  and  trains  a  Christian 
leader,  a  statesman,  an  educator,  a  philanthropist,  rank 
with  other  pioneers  of  progress  ?  Who  knows  but  that 
the  youth  saved  to  wise  and  useful  living  may  trans- 
form continents,  or  discover  a  cure  for  cancer,  or 
tuberculosis,  and  thus  bless  all  men? 

The  Tireless  Hands  that  Help.    In  lumber  and  min- 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  153 

ing  camps  the  establishment  of  churches  has  always 
been  a  hard  task.  In  such  places  the  conditions  are 
abnormal.  Family  life  is  seldom  the  rule.  Men  labor 
in  the  forest  for  gold,  and  are  often  there  as  refugees 
from  society,  or  because  they  are  discouraged  and  seek 
life  in  the  open  far  from  the  sights  that  remind  them 
of  earlier  prosperity.  The  Christian  help  given  in 
mining  camps  has  generally  had  to  come  from  without, 
through  the  agency  of  missionary  societies,  but  finan- 
cial aid  has  often  been  obtained  from  local  companies 
or  from  private  gifts. 

When  Failure  Was  Success.  The  most  substantial 
work  has  been  done  by  organized  forces  that  have  tried 
to  cover  the  ground  as  rapidly  and  as  well  as  possible. 
They  have  often  shared  the  fortunes  of  local  enthusi- 
asm when  booms  have  broken  like  bubbles.  But  the 
expenses  of  single  beginnings  were  often  slight,  and 
frequently  the  meeting-house  was  moved  across  the 
prairie,  or  taken  apart  and  rebuilt,  when  the  people 
passed  from  an  old  to  a  new  town  site.  Sod  houses 
w^ere  left  to  fall.  And  yet  these  temporary  meeting- 
places  served  their  good  purpose  and  cheered  the 
people,  as  did  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  al- 
though they,  like  it,  were  often  moved  from  place  to 
place.  The  church  in  the  new  community  stood  for 
God's  presence,  and  the  crude  place  of  religious  as- 
sembly was  a  reminder  of  heavenly  realities.  In  these 
new  and  simple  shelters  fine  men  and  women  were 
saved  from  lives  of  sin  to  days  of  purity  and  service 
and  started  on  great  spiritual  careers. 


154  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Many  missionary  mistakes  in  settling  a  new  country 
are  made  and  readjustments  are  sure  to  follow.  The 
coming  of  railroads,  the  discovery  of  coal,  lime,  oil, 
lead,  and  other  minerals,  and  the  study  of  soils  all  re- 
distribute the  population.  The  churches  must  follow 
the  people  in  order  to  teach  them  to  follow  the  Lord, 
and  until  the  worth  of  a  soul  can  be  measured  the  in- 
vestment of  missionary  money  under  adverse  condi- 
tions should  not  be  condemned.  Is  it  not  too  soon  to 
pass  judgment? 

Where  Water  Is  Wealth.  Irrigation  projects,  the 
most  permanent  of  which  have  been  financed  by  state 
and  national  help,  have  converted  deserts  into  gardens. 
People  have  followed  the  stream,  and  where  the  supply 
of  water  is  adequate  and  regular,  the  population  has  in- 
creased and  remained.  In  such  communities  the  first 
settlers  generally  obligated  themselves  to  pay  in  instal- 
ments for  water  rights  and  for  the  land.  They  con- 
sumed their  first  crops,  and  for  several  years  were  pur- 
chasers rather  than  sellers.  Such  people  generally  need 
assistance  from  missionary  societies  until  their 
churches  are  built  and  their  sources  of  income  are  suffi- 
cient to  bring  self-support.  From  such  communities, 
however,  immediately  begin  to  flow  streams  of  Chris- 
tian benevolence  into  nearer  and  remoter  portions  of 
the  earth,  and  frequently  the  churches  in  irrigated  com- 
munities have  become  the  most  generous  givers  for  the 
spread  of  the  gospel.  The  stream  of  water  from  the 
mountains  and  the  stream  of  Christian  giving  from 
the  churches  continue  without  pause ;  but  the  stream  of 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  155 

giving  to  the  community  soon  ceases  and  will  never 
need  to  flow  again. 

Pioneers  and  Crusaders.  Results  in  those  parts  of 
the  country  where  denominational  missionary  societies 
were  the  agents  for  establishing  churches  have  been 
good.  The  work  was  carried  on  independently  and  in 
generous  rivalry,  and  in  some  instances  doubtless  too 
many  church  organizations  were  established.  It  should 
be  remembered,  however,  that  this  was  the  natural 
result  in  a  new  country  where  many  places  grew  with 
great  rapidity,  and  where  it  was  impossible  to  tell  in 
the  early  days  which  of  them  would  fail  and  which 
would  flourish.  It  is  easy  for  men  far  away  from 
frontier  conditions  to  sit  in  armchairs  in  front  of  an 
open  fire  and  criticize  the  results  of  the  missionary 
zeal  and  consecration  of  men  who  are  facing  western 
blizzards.  Could  these  judges  say,  as  do  the  mission- 
aries, "My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me, 
and  to  accomplish  his  work"  ?  The  men  who  built  the 
paths  across  the  prairies  and  often  slept  under  the  open 
skies  had  convictions.  They  were  pioneers  and  cru- 
saders. They  suffered  and  conquered  and  died. 
Others  of  the  same  tribe  are  still  undaunted  by  labor 
and  sacrifice. 

Progress  for  All  Groups.  Under  the  influence  of 
Christianity  remarkable  progress  has  been  made  among 
the  backward  races.  Negroes  are,  as  a  rule,  friendly 
to  a  profession  of  faith  in  Christ.  The  large  number 
of  Indians  who  have  entered  the  Church  as  a  result  of 
devoted  missionary  endeavor  is  one  of  the  finest  proofs 


156  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

of  the  adaptation  of  Christianity  to  the  needs  of  all 
peoples.  Heroic  Indian  missionaries,  far  away  among 
the  mountains  and  on  the  prairies,  have  interpreted  by 
their  lips  and  proved  by  their  lives  the  truth  of  Christ. 
They  have  seen  heathen  chiefs  become  the  leaders  in 
the  Christian  churches.  Indeed,  native  leaders  in  many 
congregations  of  believing  Christians  whose  hands  are 
now  clean  and  whose  hearts  are  pure  had,  within  the 
memory  of  missionaries  now  serving  them  in  the 
gospel,  hands  red  with  blood  and  hearts  maddened  by 
revenge. 

Numbers  of  belated  races  have  been  faithfully 
met  on  the  threshold  of  the  new  world  and  followed  to 
the  remotest  corners  of  the  land  by  missionaries  who 
have  told  to  them  in  their  own  tongue  the  wonderful 
works  of  God.  Already  hundreds  of  these  converts 
among  many  nationalities  have  been  trained  to  be  the 
Christian  teachers  of  their  people,  and  the  work  that 
has  thus  far  progressed  promises  still  larger  results  in 
the  future. 

Visions  of  What  Should  Be  Attempted.  Hitherto 
the  work  has  been  done  independently.  The  field  was 
wide.  Each  denomination  through  its  missionary  or- 
ganizations has  often  gone  along  lines  of  least  resis- 
tance. The  regions  have  been  so  vast,  the  need  so  great, 
the  shifting  populations  so  numerous,  and  the  caHs  so 
many,  that  there  has  been  plenty  of  work  for  all  to  do. 
Many  open  doors  waited  long  before  the  feet  shod  with 
the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace  passed  over  their 
thresholds. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  157 

The  Neglected  Fields  Survey^  made  a  careful  study 
of  certain  western  states  and  found  relatively  few  du- 
plications, while  there  are  many  neglected  spots.  Their 
recommendations  have  been  carefully  studied  by  the 
administrators  of  the  various  home  mission  boards, 
and  whatever  adjustments  can  be  made  will  doubtless 
be  introduced  by  those  denominations  whose  religious 
convictions  will  allow  them  to  modify  their  present 
plans  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  cooperation. 
But  the  denominations  which  do  not  enter  into  such 
relations  will  find  that  same  fine  spirit  of  mutual  trust- 
fulness and  consideration  which  Christianity  engenders 
in  the  hearts  of  all  Christians.  Religious  convictions 
are  always  respected  among  spiritual  conquerors. 

The  Making  of  Leaders.  The  training  of  still  larger 
numbers  of  the  best  qualified  men  and  women  among 
the  foreign-speaking  peoples  that  they  may  become 
missionaries  to  their  own  groups  scattered  throughout 
the  country  is  a  matter  that  should  receive  increased 
attention.  Nearly  every  denomination  has  already  ac- 
complished much  in  this  direction  and  is  about  to 
undertake  more.  Several  seminaries  have  annexes 
where  students  of  one  or  more  nationalities  are  given 
special  instruction  and  training  to  preach  the  gospel  in 
their  own  vernacular. 

Lest  We  Forget.  Still  more  must  be  attempted, 
especially  in  the  North,  to  Christianize  the  Negroes 
who  are  flocking  to  the  cities  and  coming  in  consider- 

'Commissioned  by  the  Home  Missions  Council  to  make  a  study 
of  religious  conditions  in   several  western   states. 


158  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

able  numbers  into  smaller  communities.  What  can  be 
done  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  wandering  bands  of 
Indians  who  cling  tenaciously  to  their  own  language 
and  their  heathen  customs  is  a  question  that  is  con- 
stantly asked  by  those  who  are  working  for  the  con- 
version of  the  red  men.  The  Indian  Committee  of 
the  Home  Missions  Council  has  recently  succeeded  in 
persuading  several  denominational  boards  to  enlarge 
their  work  among  these  people,  and  they  hope  that  be- 
fore many  years  all  Indians  not  thus  cared  for  may  be 
included  in  the  ministry  of  Christian  agencies  that  will 
work  for  their  redemption. 

The  Conquest  of  Superstition.  If  the  Mormons  are 
to  be  reached  with  the  gospel  of  Christ,  new  methods 
must  be  determined.  The  efforts  of  the  Mormons  to 
convert  Christians  to  their  faith  seem,  at  the  present 
time,  to  be  stronger  than  those  of  the  Christians  to  con- 
vert the  Mormons  to  their  belief.  And  yet,  nearly  every 
missionary  and  church  in  Utah  and  in  the  several  other 
states  where  these  people  are  living  in  large  numbers 
have  reported  converts  from  among  them.  But  aggres- 
sive, continuous  work  should  be  attempted,  and  con- 
crete, popular  literature  created  in  order  that  the  truth 
of  Christ  may  be  realized  by  those  upon  whom  the 
darkness  of  a  dense  superstition  has  fallert 

What  the  Long  Future  Must  Bring.  Will  there  be 
an  amalgamation  of  the  various  white  races?  One 
hundred  years  from  now  is  it  not  possible  that  a  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  may  have  a  foreign  name? 
Perhaps  it  will  end  in  "vitch"  and  belong  to  a  man 


TYPE  OF  JAPANESE   IMMIGRANTS,   SEATTLE.   WASHINGTON 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  159 

who  can  trace  his  ancestry  along  his  maternal  and 
paternal  lines  through  twenty  nationalities  which  have 
flowed  together  in  the  racial  interminglings  in  Amer- 
ica. And  yet,  may  not  this  President  be  an  earnest 
Christian  whose  mother  brought  him  up  to  fear  the 
Lord  and  led  him  early  to  the  sanctuary  ?  Such  a  man 
will  take  strong  ground  as  a  devoted  Christian  in 
Washington  and  everywhere.  In  his  veins  may  flow 
the  blood  of  nearly  all  the  European  peoples,  each  of 
which  has  helped  to  strengthen  his  life.  May  not 
God  produce  such  a  man  by  processes  that  only  Amer- 
ica can  provide? 

St.  Paul  said  at  Athens  that  God  "made  of  one  every 
nation  of  men  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth, 
having  determined  their  appointed  seasons,  and  the 
bounds  of  their  habitation ;  that  they  should  seek  God, 
if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him  and  find  him,  though 
he  is  not  far  from  each  one  of  us."  In  America  it 
would  seem  that  the  process  is  reversed  and  that  here 
God  intends  to  make  many  nations  of  the  earth  into 
one  blood,  having  to  this  end  determined  their  ap- 
pointed seasons  and  the  lines  of  their  migrations  in 
order  that  they  may  seek  God,  if  haply  they  might  find 
him  in  the  new  land,  and  be  the  divine  agents  for  scat- 
tering among  the  peoples  of  the  earth  the  seed  of  truth 
that  shall  yield  a  world-wide  spiritual  harvest. 

The  Sure  Means  of  Uplift.  The  long  future  must 
surely  witness  the  uplift  of  the  people  through  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Churches.  If  the  Churches  fail,  the  people 
will  soon  be  without  the  vision  of  God.     The  prac- 


160  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

tical  application  of  Christian  ethics  to  organized  in- 
dustry can  be  brought  about,  not  by  forces  accidentally 
at  work,  but  by  Christian  leaders,  who  are  the  product 
of  the  Church.  The  Churches  are  the  channels  of  in- 
spiration, as  they  have  been  in  the  past,  and  although 
as  organizations  they  have  been  conservative  in  insti- 
tuting new  reforms,  the  leadership  for  every  great  re- 
form has  generally  been  provided  by  them.  Not  al- 
ways have  they  come  from  their  actual  membership, 
but  they  have  been  persons  who  were  under  Christian 
influences  in  early  days  when  life  was  formative,  and 
who  in  mature  years  have  retained  in  their  hearts  the 
spirit  of  unselfish  service. 

The  long  future  under  the  leadership  of  the  Churches 
must  see  industrial  peace  established  through  arbitra- 
tion. Whence  will  come  the  pressure  for  such  arbitra- 
tion, except  from  the  organizations  that  are  inspired 
by  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  the  Prince  of  Peace?  The 
long  future  must  see  the  primacy  of  the  Churches  in 
all  race  betterment  movements,  and  the  confidence  of 
narrow-visioned  opponents  of  Christianity  will  be  won 
by  kindness  and  by  unselfish  service. 

The  Forces  at  Work.  These  Christian  forces  are 
the  local  churches,  and  their  various  groups ;  the  mis- 
sionary societies ;  the  Christian  associations ;  Sunday- 
schools  and  their  organizations;  publication,  tract, 
Bible,  educational,  and  church  edifice  societies;  Chris- 
tian colleges  and  Bible  vacation  schools.  To  these  we 
add  all  activities  indirectly  allied  to  them,  but  largely 
supported  and   frequently  administered  by  men  and 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  NATION  161 

women  actuated  by  the  Christian  spirit,  such  as :  libra- 
ries, public  schools,  social  settlements,  education  and 
peace  foundations,  sociological  and  other  uplift  con- 
gresses, hospitals,  orphanages,  associated  charities, 
and  fraternal  societies.  The  progress  also  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  hastened  by  organizations  which  foster 
science  and  art,  and  which  stimulate  invention,  bring- 
ing the  peoples  nearer  together  in  every  way;  for  all 
truth  must  harmonize  and  all  truth-seekers  should  find 
God,  and  all  agencies  that  lead  men  to  search  after  the 
truth  and  discover  it  and  spread  it  are  important, 
"for  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  unto  him  are  all 
things." 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS 


VII 
THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS 

Birds  of  Passage.  In  America  the  peoples  of  all 
nations  are  represented.  They  are  like  birds  of  pas- 
sage, but  most  of  these  strangers  halt  in  the  cities  for 
a  little  while  before  they  hasten  to  the  distant  interior 
regions.  Others  are  like  migratory  birds  in  their  desire 
to  shun  the  hardships  of  their  homeland's  poverty, 
and  in  America  enjoy  the  summer  of  prosperity. 
Many  of  these  foreigners  pass  back  and  forth  with 
almost  the  regularity  of  such  birds.  With  these  peoples 
from  other  lands,  the  flight  to  America  is  made  in 
good  times  and  their  passage  homeward  is  taken  in 
seasons  of  financial  depression. 

But  these  temporary  Americans  mostly  congregate 
in  cities,  creating  social  conditions  and  Christian  op- 
portunities unparalleled  in  the  life  of  any  nation,  and 
never  before  seen  in  the  history  of  the  world.  The 
spiritual  conquest  of  congested  centers  is  the  challenge 
to  the  churches  in  all  American  cities.  In  the  largest 
of  these  the  situation  would  be  almost  hopeless  if  the 
Savior  had  not  given  his  followers  the  parables  of  the 
leaven,  of  the  mustard  seed,  and  of  the  net.  The  skies 
are  brightened  also  when  his  followers  remember  that 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  cometh  not  by  observation. 
Mr.  Bryce's  assertion  that  America  has  made  its  great- 

165 


166  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

est  failure  in  its  cities  may  be  true,  so  far  as  it  relates 
to  their  government.  Is  it  true,  however,  of  the  spir- 
itual process  of  their  redemption? 

The  Allies  of  the  Churches.  In  the  cities  as  well  as 
in  the  country  the  churches  must  gather  up  into  their 
activities  the  various  individual  spiritual  efforts  that 
so  many  good  men  and  women  are  making.  If  one 
says  that  the  Christian  Associations  are  providing  a 
way  of  escape  for  thousands  and  are  accomplishing 
more  than  the  churches,  he  should  be  reminded  that 
these  Associations  are  the  churches  collectively  at 
work.  Their  leaders,  it  is  evident,  so  regard  them, 
and  on  this  ground  appeal  for  their  support. 

In  a  leading  church  in  Washington,  District  of 
Columbia,  the  visitor  sees  a  printed  notice  in  the  vesti- 
bule stating  that  its  institutional  work  is  done  by  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  that  city.  Mem- 
bers who  give  much  time  to  the  association's  activities 
are  told  that  this  labor  is  in  place  of  other  kinds  of  ser- 
vice. If  the  churches  in  the  land  should  not  train  men  to 
give  and  work,  the  great  associational  organizations 
with  their  national  and  international  labors  would  col- 
lapse. The  churches  are  divinely  appointed  groups  of 
believers  who  are  set  for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 
All  societies  within  and  without  the  churches,  though 
working  with  them  and  supported  by  their  members 
and  imbued  with  Christ's  spirit,  are  secondary  organ- 
izations, to  continue  always  perhaps  if  true  to  their 
work,  but  surely  to  weaken  and  give  place  to  something 
better,  if  possessed  with  the  haughty  spirit  that  for- 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  167 

gets  their  mother.  In  these  days  of  freedom  and  effi- 
ciency in  religious  organizations  pride  always  goes 
before  a  fall. 

Types  of  City  Churches.  The  collegiate  church, 
with  its  congregations  for  the  various  groups  of  mem- 
bers geographically  separated,  when  strongly  organ- 
ized and  evenly  financed,  has  in  it  greater  possibilities 
than  have  yet  been  realized.  It  is  simply  one  church 
with  several  congregations.  There  is  very  slight  dif- 
ference, however,  between  the  church  with  several  mis- 
sions and  the  church  with  several  congregations.  Both 
are  convenient  forms  of  accomplishing  the  best  results 
in  a  great  city.  Whichever  one  stimulates  the  wider 
spiritual  vision,  calls  forth  the  larger  financial  response, 
and  places  upon  the  membership  the  greatest  responsi- 
bilities, proves  itself  the  more  capable  of  doing  its 
difficult  task. 

The  institutional  church,  that  provides  work,  feeds 
the  poor,  houses  the  homeless,  has  rest  rooms,  recrea- 
tion halls,  clubs,  and  activities  for  various  ages,  teaches 
men  and  women  to  be  industrious,  maintains  a  night 
school  and  library  attachments,  has  in  many  instances 
accomplished  wonderful  results.  Such  work,  however, 
will  probably  be  more  and  more  absorbed  by  the  Chris- 
tian Associations  supported  generously  by  the  members 
of  the  churches. 

A  Demonstration  in  a  Western  City.  The  Ep- 
worth  Church  of  Cleveland  has  shown  how  a  com- 
munity task  may  be  accomplished  by  a  congregation 
in  a  great  city.    The  pastor,  Dr.  Worth  M.  Tippy,  has 


168  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

modestly  told  the  story  in  a  little  volume,  The  Church 
a  Community  Force.  He  believes  that  his  men  can 
do  genuine  church  work  as  members  of  the  board  of 
trade  and  as  officers  in  the  city  government,  and  has 
quietly  taught  his  people  the  spiritual  values  of  social 
and  public  service  as  an  expression  of  the  Christ  life. 
In  many  reforms  the  church  has  been  prominent,  and 
in  a  church  structure  especially  designed  for  commu- 
nity work,  has  led  the  way  which  other  churches  may 
well  follow.  In  this  building  with  almost  perfect 
social  appointments,  all  groups  of  people  are  enter- 
tained, instructed,  and  also  spiritually  enriched. 

The  church  has  attracted  to  itself  many  of  the  social 
workers  of  the  city,  who  are  organized  for  mutual 
benefit,  but  especially  to  make  the  city  what  it  ought 
to  be,  in  its  care  for  the  poor,  the  wayward,  the  home- 
less, and  the  intemperate.  If  all  the  churches  of  Cleve- 
land were  to  follow  out  the  same  lines  of  work,  it 
would  be  best  for  the  social  workers  to  scatter  among 
the  denominations  of  their  choice.  But  the  great  task 
of  this  wonderful  church  is  to  teach  about  two  hundred 
new  members  each  year  the  religious  ideals  of  the  con- 
gregation, which  combines  with  the  appeal  to  the  indi- 
vidual to  give  his  heart  to  the  Lord  the  entreaty  to  give 
his  brain  and  hand  to  save,  not  only  the  lost,  but  to  pre- 
vent conditions  that  make  a  man's  redemption  difficult 
and  that  aim  to  destroy  him,  body,  soul,  and  spirit. 

The  Church  as  a  Saving  Center.  To  reach  and  lift 
the  neglected  and  discouraged  of  many  nationalities  is 
the  heavy  task  of  many  city  churches.     Some  congre- 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  169 

gations  have  moved  away,  and,  on  the  profits  from  the 
sale  of  their  valuable  properties,  have  built  temples  of 
worship  adapted  to  their  new  fields.  Some  of  these 
organizations  have  maintained  missions  in  the  districts 
from  which  they  have  migrated.  Other  churches  have 
created  parishes  in  their  new  neighborhoods  and  the 
results  have  been  baneful  to  the  lives  of  those  left  be- 
hind. These  scattered  and  discouraged  people  must 
find  their  church  homes  among  strangers  or  in  mis- 
sions used  largely  for  foreign-speaking  work.  But 
many  instances  of  splendid  devotion  to  a  neighborhood 
are  seen  in  the  decision  of  certain  churches  in  cities  like 
New  York,  Chicago,  Philadelphia,  and  elsewhere,  to 
remain  in  their  old  locations,  working  with  diligence 
and  great  wisdom  through  missions  and  departmental 
efforts  to  solve  the  difficult  problems  presented  by  the 
changes  in  the  population  about  them. 

A  Group  of  Uplifters.  The  University  Place  Church 
of  New  York  City  is  a  shining  example.  It  gives  very 
largely  for  foreign  missions,  but  it  does  a  great  amount 
of  foreign  mission  work  in  its  neighborhood.  The 
First  Presbyterian  Church  not  far  away  has  succeeded 
in  safeguarding  its  future  work  for  the  poor  of  many 
nations  by  obtaining  a  generous  endowment  for  its 
varied  missionary  labors.  The  Church  of  the  Ascen- 
sion, in  the  same  part  of  the  city,  has  adapted  its  eve- 
ning service  and  certain  of  its  activities  to  providing  a 
forum  where  friends  of  labor  and  fraternal  organiza- 
tions may  freely  discuss  religious,  social,  and  eco- 
nomic questions.    In  the  Emmanuel  Church  of  Brook- 


170  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

lyn  light  refreshments  are  served  Sunday  evenings  after 
the  preaching  service.  This  is  done  in  the  social  rooms 
where  the  people  linger  for  better  acquaintance.  It 
also  gives  the  pastor  and  members  of  the  church  an  ex- 
cellent opportunity  for  welcoming  strangers  and  mak- 
ing all  feel  much  at  home. 

At  Washington  Square  in  New  York  the  Judson 
Memorial  does  an  excellent  institutional  work  and  is 
seeking  a  large  endowment  for  its  maintenance.  A 
few  blocks  to  the  east  is  the  Labor  Temple,  where  the 
New  York  Presbytery  aids  in  demonstrating  new 
methods  of  reaching  and  saving  the  people  who  are 
neglecting  the  usual  ministries  of  religion.  The 
Second  Avenue  Church,  largely  supported  by  mis- 
sionary funds,  is  trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  mold- 
ing the  people  who  live  near  it.  A  few  years  ago  the 
district  was  German;  now  it  is  Italian,  Jewish,  and 
Hungarian.  In  the  precinct  three  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  people  live.  The  work  is  attempted  on  a 
polyglot  basis,  by  five  pastors — American,  Italian, 
Magyar,  Polish,  and  Slovak.  The  children  of  foreign 
parentage  are  reached  by  the  English  language,  and 
are  approached  by  the  tactful  methods  of  gymnasium, 
cooking  school,  sewing  classes,  and  exercises  made  in- 
teresting by  motion  pictures  and  stereopticon  stories. 
The  aim  is  to  draw  the  boys  and  girls  into  the  Sunday- 
school  and  to  bring  them  to  Christ.  Kindergarten 
work  and  medical  attention  for  the  teeth  and  eyes  are 
not  neglected.  Classes  also  for  foreigners  who  wish 
to  learn  English  are  established,  and  conversions  have 


JFDSOX  MEMORIAL  CHURCH,   NEW   YORK 
EI'WORTH   MEMORIAL   CHURCH.    CLEVELAND 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  171 

been  traced  directly  to  this  instruction.  The  illumi- 
nated sign  in  front  of  the  church  is  in  several  languages. 
Similar  work  is  done  in  many  other  churches  and  mis- 
sions in  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  and  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  what  may  be  easily  attempted  in  all  congested 
centers. 

In  Atlanta,  Georgia,  a  Presbyterian  church  has 
established  a  church-settlement  work  among  the 
Negroes  of  the  city,  where,  in  a  neglected  neighborhood, 
uplift  service  of  a  very  high  order  is  carried  forward. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  same  denomination  in  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky.  Numerous  instances  of  work  similar 
to  these  lines  already  described,  and  even  perhaps  of 
a  more  varied  type,  can  be  seen  in  Chicago,  St.  Louis, 
Boston,  Baltimore,  San  Francisco,  Philadelphia,  and 
indeed  in  many  cities  of  the  continent. 

The  Burden  of  the  City.  In  the  first  four  Christian 
centuries  cities  like  Antioch,  Ephesus,  Corinth,  Alex- 
andria, Rome,  and  Carthage  were  greatly  changed  by 
the  gospel  of  Christ.  So  we  may  expect  American 
cities  gradually  and  perhaps  suddenly  to  be  trans- 
formed by  the  same  divine  power.  In  the  earlier  time, 
without  organization  such  as  the  churches  now  have, 
the  marvelous  results  occurred,  and  they  came  because 
individual  Christians,  who  were  members  of  the 
churches,  lived  the  Christ  life  under  the  most  distress- 
ing and  difficult  conditions.  At  the  present  time,  if 
Christians  will  show  the  same  consistency  in  all  their 
business,  social,  and  intellectual  relations,  and  as  faith- 
fully witness  for  Christ,  the  kingdom  of  God  will 


172  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

quickly  come  even  to  our  American  cities.  But  to  live 
in  one  of  these  communities,  a  selfish,  sordid  life  of 
ease  and  pleasure  is  to  retard  the  coming  of  the  King- 
dom. 

Looking  and  Seeing.  Many  Christians  look  upon 
the  city's  life  but  never  see  the  needs  of  its  people.  A 
woman  who  bears  the  name  of  Christ  has  spent  her 
days  in  such  a  community.  She  has  never  intention- 
ally beheld  its  deep,  black  ruts  of  social  evils.  She  will 
not  study  its  seething  currents  of  common  life  or  its 
pictures  of  poverty.  She  will  not  reach  to  bless  a  needy 
soul  with  outstretched  hands,  or  to  relieve  hunger 
with  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  her  table.  She  lives  in 
pleasure,  dead  to  the  vision  of  reality. 

Her  near  neighbor,  a  woman  of  equal  wealth,  birth, 
station,  sees  it  all.  She  gazes  with  an  aching  heart 
on  thctiark  stream  of  life  and  tries  to  purify  it.  She 
beholds  human  wretchedness,  and  labors  to  relieve  it. 
Hands  bruised  by  suffering,  as  Christ's  were  by  the 
nails,  she  clasps  and  heals  with  her  touch ;  and  she  sat- 
isfies not  only  the  hunger  of  the  body,  but  of  the  mind 
and  of  the  soul.  It  has  become  a  passion  with  her  to 
lift  the  helpless  to  self-respect  and  self-support.  She 
lives  in  serving  others,  and  is  alive  to  the  vision  of  God. 
Her  motto  is,  "Not  success,  but  service." 

The  one  woman  glances  superficially  here  and  there, 
and  turns  away  in  disgust.  The  other  sees  the  sorrow, 
and  forgetting  her  own  life  finds  it  again  as  she  saves 
the  lives  of  unfortunate  women  and  homeless  children. 
One  treasures  her  life  to  lose  it  in  the  abyss  of  spirit- 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  173 

ual  forgetfulness,  the  other  loses  her  life  to  find  it 
again  in  the  blessed  valley  of  service. 

A  Study  of  Two  Men.  One  man  looks  with  amaze- 
ment on  the  numerous  activities  of  the  church.  He 
notes  its  outward  forms;  attends  from  habit  some  of 
its  "monotonous  services" ;  regards  every  expression 
of  the  religious  life  as  a  proof  of  professionalism; 
listens  to  sermons  much  as  he  would  to  a  phonograph ; 
and,  between  the  moments  of  wandering  in  his  thoughts 
as  to  how  the  market  will  open  the  next  day  and  recall- 
ing his  glorious  afternoon  at  golf  the  day  before,  he 
finds  himself  making  a  determined  effort  to  keep 
awake,  while  he  is  dimly  conscious  that  an  appeal  is 
being  made  to  him  in  behalf  of  home  and  foreign  mis- 
sions, both  of  which  seem  foolish  ways  in  which  to 
spend  one's  income  in  these  days  of  high  cost  of  liv- 
ing and  new  taxation.  He  sees  nothing  in  it  all,  and 
goes  home  to  wonder  how  a  minister  who  plays  golf 
so  well  can  be  so  obsessed  with  such  vagaries. 

The  man  across  the  aisle  was  his  college  classmate. 
His  soul  has  been  thrilled  with  the  efforts  of  the  church 
to  meet  modem  social  needs.  He  attends  divine  wor- 
ship to  be  inspired  for  work,  and  especially  for  his 
labors  in  the  East  Side  mission  which  he  leads,  super- 
intends, and  supports.  He  sees  the  deep  meaning  of 
the  appeal  and  is  mastered  by  the  restful  peace  of  the 
day.  He  beholds  a  prophet  in  his  pastor,  for  in  his 
own  soul  he  hears  echoes  of  the  call  to  consecrated 
service  and  to  generous  giving.  To  him  the  whole 
world    seems    only    a    little   congested    neighborhood 


174  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

within  sight  of  the  Savior's  cross,  and  as  he  hears  his 
Master's  words,  "It  is  finished,"  he  remembers  that  his 
own  work  has  just  begun. 

When  pledges  for  missions  are  asked  he  resolves  to 
drop  his  membership  in  a  social  club  to  which  he  sel- 
dom goes,  and  recalls  then  that  he  will  still  belong  to 
five  other  clubs.  As  the  appeal  is  pressed  and  a  defi- 
nite request  is  made  for  a  hospital  in  China,  he  decides 
not  to  get  another  automobile  in  the  spring,  but  to  make 
the  one  that  he  has  do  heavier  service.  As  the  deacon 
passes  the  offering  basket  to  his  pew  he  drops  in.  a 
pledge  of  $5,000,  and  goes  home  with  a  happy  heart. 
The  Lord  has  opened  his  eyes  to  see  the  spiritual  needs 
of  his  nation  and  of  all  the  nations. 

May  the  tribe  of  those  who  see  increase!  They  are 
the  hope  of  Christianity.  They  are  the  heralds  of  a 
new  era  whose  sunset  shall  usher  in  the  day  that  never 
ends. 

The  Value  of  Personal  Contact.  To  save  the  people 
in  the  cities  who  care  little  for  churches  of  any  form, 
who  have  drifted  far  away  from  earlier  religious  con- 
victions and  associations,  and  who  have  linked  their 
lives  socially  and  politically  into  the  corrupt  and  debas- 
ing forces  that  destroy  men  and  threaten  the  founda- 
tions of  society  is  the  task  of  the  churches.  It  can 
never  be  done  simply  by  maintaining  public  worship 
and  through  the  regular  channels  of  preaching  and 
teaching.  If  the  people  whom  the  churches  must  reach 
were  attracted  to  the  congregation  and  Sunday-school 
the  end  might  be  gained.     They  care,  however,  for 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  175 

none  of  these  things,  and  yet  must  be  won  by  the 
gospel. 

Highway  Helpers.  Street  preaching  is  increasingly 
used  by  men  and  women  who  wish  to  meet  people  and 
persuade  them  that  their  theories  of  life  are  worthy  of 
acceptance.  In  England  this  custom  is  far  more  com- 
mon than  in  America.  The  large  crowd,  which  will 
quickly  assemble  and  listen  attentively  to  thoughtful 
speakers,  are  those  who  dwell  in  the  highways  and 
hedges  to  which  the  Savior  sent  his  disciples  to  compel 
the  people  to  come  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  A  year 
of  ceaseless  preaching  from  thousands  of  improvised 
pulpits  in  all  the  cities  of  the  land  would  lift  the  spirit- 
ual tide  in  these  communities.  Such  public  meetings, 
however,  must  be  addressed  by  thoughtful,  earnest, 
clear-minded  men  and  women  who  can  state  a  point 
wisely  and  drive  the  nail  of  truth  fast  and  far.  The 
aim  should  be,  not  only  to  save  those  who  are  "down 
and  out,"  but  to  interest  all  who  will  listen  to  a  candid 
explanation  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus. 

The  other  way,  always  open,  and  which  stormy 
days  and  cold  cannot  defeat,  is  for  all  Christians  in 
touching  a  life  to  prove  the  worth  of  the  gospel  and  its 
power  to  save.  The  people  who  are  not  in  the  churches 
and  care  not  for  their  help  are  often  employed  or 
supervised  by  Christian  men  and  women  who,  in  the 
wages  paid  and  in  their  business  and  personal  contacts, 
have  it  in  their  power  to  preach  sermons  of  compelling 
eloquence. 

How  Can  the  Strangers  Be  Reached?    Mr.  Mornay 


176  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Williams  says :  "The  street  is  the  school  where  a  child's 
education  proceeds  fastest,  but  he  learns  only  evil 
there."  How  can  the  churches  overcome  and  change 
this?  In  all  communities  the  pastors  are  amazed  to 
find  how  many  children  of  foreign  parentage  are  grow- 
ing up  American  heathen,  and  are  not  connected  with 
any  church.  These  boys  and  girls  reverting  to  pagan- 
ism enjoy  no  religious  restraints;  their  parents  have 
lost  faith  in  any  expression  of  Christianity,  and  have 
ceased  to  attend  church  services.  In  most  instances, 
however,  they  are  willing  to  allow  their  children  to 
attend  Sunday  and  vacation  Bible  schools.  The  boys 
and  girls  themselves  are  eager  to  do  so,  and  often  this 
strengthens  their  acquaintance  with  American  chil- 
dren whom  they  meet  in  the  public  schools.  Each  com- 
munity worker  will  develop  ways  of  winning  these 
little  strangers  and  holding  them;  for  love,  tact,  and 
a  desire  to  save  the  boys  and  girls  to  the  Christian  faith 
and  to  useful  lives  will  accomplish  wonderful  results. 

In  one  city  an  association  secretary,  who  supervises 
his  work  with  great  skill,  has  discovered  a  way  in 
which  the  women  of  the  churches  are  kept  in  intimate 
touch  with  foreign-speaking  families.  He  has  a  list 
of  the  birthdays  of  the  children  who  have  attended  the 
Sunday  and  vacation  Bible  schools,  or  who  have  been 
present  at  social  gatherings.  He  learns  from  them  the 
names  of  their  little  brothers  and  sisters,  and  the 
street  and  number  of  each  family.  Later  the  women 
in  the  churches,  whose  hearts  are  warm  toward  the 
mothers  of  these  little  foreign  children,  call  at  their 


DAILY   VACATION   BIBLE   SCHOOL,    NEW   YORK 
NEIDRINGHAUS   BASKETRY   CLASS,    ST.    LOUIS 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  177 

homes,  learn  when  their  birthdays  come,  and  keep  in 
touch  with  the  mothers  and  their  family  needs.  After 
a  second  or  third  call  the  foreign-speaking  mother  will 
probably,  through  the  lips  of  an  older  child  acting  as 
an  interpreter,  speak  in  a  more  intimate  way  of  her  life 
and  of  her  family.  Soon  a  point  of  contact  is  gained 
between  the  two  women,  so  that,  in  hours  of  sickness 
or  distress,  the  caller  becomes  a  sister  of  mercy  to  the 
mother,  who  is  often  distracted  by  conditions  from 
which  she  cannot  escape  and  by  troubles  in  the  midst 
of  which  she  needs  a  friend. 

Another  Avenue  of  Approach.  Mrs.  L.  C.  Barnes 
has  carefully  worked  out,  in  scientific  and  attractive 
fonn,  a  method  of  teaching  English  to  foreigners. 
The  lessons  are  in  book  form  and  in  Scriptural  lan- 
guage, which  makes  simple  conversations  on  spiritual 
themes  easy.  The  teaching  of  such  English  classes  is 
an  open  door  of  opportunity  to  many  men  and  women, 
and  may  be  given  in  the  home  as  well  as  in  church 
buildings.  One  group  of  Russians  met  four  nights 
in  the  week  at  half  past  seven,  and  continued  until  ten 
o'clock.  The  teacher  found  it  almost  impossible  to 
close  the  lesson  and  on  several  evenings  the  class  con- 
tinued until  midnight.  On  one  such  occasion  the  leader 
discovered  that  these  men  came  direct  from  their  work 
to  the  place  where  the  class  was  held,  and  did  not  have 
their  supper  until  they  returned  home.  Such  a  strong 
desire  to  learn  the  English  language  places  in  the  hands 
of  the  spiritual  teacher  the  tools  with  which  the  finest 
work  can  be  done  on  the  souls  of  men. 


178  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Women  Who  Were  Alert.  In  one  city,  where  a 
large  Italian  colony  had  slowly  grown,  the  girls  and 
women  were  asked  to  exhibit  their  needlework  in  the 
vestry  of  the  church.  This  deeply  interested  the  mem- 
bers of  the  churches,  who  were  surprised  at  the  fruits 
of  such  skill  and  led  to  their  larger  interest  in  the  spir- 
itual welfare  of  these  strangers  within  their  gates.  In 
another  city  the  women  of  a  church  provided  coffee 
and  simple  luncheons  for  Italians  who  were  excavat- 
ing in  front  of  their  edifice.  Several  of  these  work- 
men were  interested  in  the  church,  attended  its  services, 
and  a  number  became  Christians  and  entered  its  mem- 
bership. 

What  a  Busy  Man  Did.  He  was  elected  superin- 
tendent of  an  Italian  Sunday-school,  and  became  so 
interested  in  its  promotion  that  he  persuaded  his  church 
to  make  large  gifts  for  the  erection  of  a  building 
adapted  not  only  for  religious  services  but  also  for 
educational  and  social  work.  Playground  features 
were  later  introduced,  and  now  the  place  is  a  center  for 
merry  groups  of  the  children  of  foreign-speaking  par- 
ents. The  American  woman  in  charge  of  the  work  has 
learned  Italian.  The  accessions  to  the  church  have 
steadily  increased,  and  the  mission  is  on  a  permanent 
basis.  On  summer  evenings  stereopticon  lectures  are 
given  in  the  playground,  and  large  numbers  gather  to 
look  at  the  pictures  and  listen  to  the  talks.  Attendance 
here  makes  entrance  into  the  chapel  easy.  The  process 
of  Christianizing  this  community  is  slowly  but  surely 
progressing.     It  is  probable  that  the  superintendent, 


^^w?^. 

\       fill.'?-''- 

m 

ly  .             -  J^^^HHfe.,,     1 

H^^^^^^^^M* 

In^raMVSR^RIHL  ^^^^HH 

1    r^  ■                                 fl^^^H 

L^^Bj^i 

?j^J^-^l^"l4  jd 

n 

ITALIANS    STUDYING    ENGLISH,     GREEN    STREET    CHURCH, 
SAN    FRANCISCO 


BOYLE    CENTER    NIGHT    SCHOOL.    ST.    LOUIS 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  179 

who  has  given  largely  for  this  work,  would  sadly  miss 
out  of  his  life  the  satisfactions  which  this  service  brings 
to  him. 

Ten  Righteous  Persons.  Ten  righteous  men  and 
women  of  dominating  spiritual  personality,  if  widely 
influential  and  determined,  can  guide  the  forces  of 
righteousness  to  save  any  city  and  keep  it  saved.  If 
Sodom  could  have  been  saved  from  destruction  by  ten 
righteous  souls,  what  may  not  ten  spiritual  persons  do 
for  any  modern  city?  In  all  such  communities  the 
task  of  the  churches  is  to  set  true  ideals,  to  train  such 
leaders,  to  provide  big  men  for  large  tasks  who  shall 
be  specialists,  while  others  shall  be  good  practitioners. 

These  large  Christians  are  the  key  men,  skilled  in 
diagnosis  and  not  hesitating  to  perform  capital  oper- 
ations; they  are  "the  masters  of  methods."  The  ideas 
which  these  men  put  into  social  and  personal  service 
are  not  to  be  patented  or  copyrighted  for  the  use  of  the 
few,  or  released  on  a  certain  day,  like  the  copy  of  a 
political  speech.  The  Christians  in  the  cities  cooperat- 
ing with  each  other  through  the  various  churches  have 
a  message  that  can  save  men  in  the  future  and  now. 
They  know  the  way  from  sin  to  safety,  and  from  moral 
failure  to  spiritual  fulness  of  life.  They  hold  in  their 
hearts  their  knowledge  of  the  gospel.  If  they  are  just, 
they  will  divide  their  inheritance  with  all  the  people 
and  make  it  so  attractive  by  their  lives  that  men  who 
are  prejudiced  against  the  churches  and  the  truth  of 
God  will  change  their  attitude  toward  the  Christian  ' 
religion. 


180  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Size  of  the  Task.  The  immensity  of  the  undertak- 
ing to  Christianize  the  cities  in  America  is  reflected  in 
the  experience  which  may  come  to  a  man  who  notes  the 
persons  of  different  nationahties  met  in  one  week. 

On  Monday  morning  a  Roumanian  ash-man  cleaned 
his  cellar  and  a  Pole  whitewashed  its  walls.  A  Hol- 
lander pruned  his  vines;  a  German  plumber  came  to 
stop  a  leak  in  his  bathroom  and  this  man's  helper  was 
a  Dane.  He  remembered  that  his  cook  was  a  Swede 
and  the  waitress  was  a  Norwegian.  As  he  left  his 
home  for  his  office  a  seamstress  entered  to  help  his 
wife.  She  was  a  Belgian,  and  the  man  who  was  paint- 
ing his  fropt  fence  was  from  Switzerland.  He  left 
his  laundry  with  a  Chinaman.  Later  he  visited  his 
Russian  tailor,  ordered  groceries  of  a  Welshman,  meat 
of  a  Scotchman,  and  purchased  his  fish  dinner  for  the 
next  day  at  a  Frenchman's  store.  As  he  waited  for  an 
electric  car  an  Italian  vegetable  man  passed,  while  he 
was  talking  with  an  Irish  poHceman.  The  next  day 
he  bought  some  hardware  from  an  Armenian  and 
learned  that  his  milkman  was  a  Lapp,  and  his  cobbler 
was  a  Hungarian.  That  evening  a  Philippine  bell-boy 
showed  him  to  a  room  in  a  hotel  and  he  learned  that 
among  its  waiters  were  Slovaks,  Greeks,  and  Servians. 

The  next  day  he  lunched  in  a  Turkish  restaurant, 
engaged  a  Syrian  to  mend  his  rugs  and  purchased  two 
more  of  an  Armenian.  In  the  afternoon  he  met  by 
accident  a  college  classmate,  a  Bulgarian,  who  intro- 
duced him  to  a  Montenegrin.  That  evening  he  learned 
that  the  Austrian  consul  of  the  city  had  rented  the 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  181 

house  opposite.  The  following  Sunday  he  met  a 
Cuban  Protestant  at  church  and  found  a  Mexican,  a 
Brazilian,  a  Lithuanian,  a  Peruvian,  and  a  Haitian 
in  a  popular  Sunday-school  class  of  one  hundred  men. 
That  evening  a  Japanese  merchant  and  his  family  at- 
tended service  and  the  next  day,  as  chairman  of  the 
committee  that  looked  after  the  repairs  of  the  church, 
he  learned  that  the  Portuguese  sexton  had  died,  and  he 
selected  a  Canadian  in  his  place.  The  following  day 
the  man  who  washed  his  office  windows  proved  to  be 
a  Spaniard,  and  a  Jew  wished  him  a  merry  Christmas. 
Soon  after  this,  in  an  early  train,  he  counted  twenty- 
eight  passengers  in  the  car.  Four  were  reading  Ger- 
man papers,  twelve  Jewish,  six  Italian,  and  he  con- 
cluded that  the  only  American-born  man  in  the  car 
besides  himself  was  a  Negro ! 

The  Task  Is  Possible.  If  the  churches  in  such  a 
city,  and  if  the  churches  in  all  the  land,  can  Christian- 
ize the  various  national  groups,  the  kingdom  of  God 
will  extend  its  rule  in  many  other  countries  dominated 
by  interpretations  of  the  Christian  faith  at  variance 
with  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  If  America 
can  be  thoroughly  Christianized,  its  influence  will  ex- 
tend more  strongly  than  hitherto  among  the  heathen 
nations,  and  will  counteract  the  evil  tendencies  of  mil- 
itarism, autocracy,  and  social  degeneracy  in  so-called 
Christian  nations.  In  America  democracy  and  the 
varied  results  of  the  Reformation  have  yielded  per;- 
haps  their  largest  harvests.  Democracy  has  gone  from 
east  to  west  and  will  doubtless  circle  the  earth.    To  dis- 


182  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

cover  its  beginnings  and  to  watch  its  development  is 
almost  as  interesting  as  to  trace  the  early  Christian 
springs  that  have  joined  their  waters  in  the  river  of 
evangelical  Christianity. 

International  Exchange.  Into  America  ver>'  many 
of  the  blessings  of  democracy  and  Christianity  have 
come.  America  is  the  new  world  in  which  numerous 
dreams  of  freedom  have  been  realized.  It  may  be  the 
arena  of  the  greatest  spiritual  .conflict  between  Chris- 
tianity and  paganism  which  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
America  is  the  smelting  caldron  into  which  the  silver 
and  gold  of  many  nationalities  is  being  melted,  to  run 
into  the  molds  of  God's  purposes.  The  most  impor- 
tant international  exchange  is  the  exchange  of  for- 
eigners fresh  from  the  old  world  for  earlier  men  and 
women  who  came  to  America  and  in  it  have  had  their 
lives  smelted,  purified,  and  saved.  America  is  the 
land  where  the  largest  plans  of  Grod  for  the  people  of 
the  earth  seem  to  be  ripening. 

The  Japan  Current  striking  the  western  shores  of 
North  America  is  a  suggestion  of  the  spiritual  influ- 
ence which  Asia  when  Christianized  may  yet  exert 
upon  the  new  world.  The  Gulf  Stream  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  a  hundred  currents  that  floW  from  America  to 
temper  the  harsh  climate  in  northwestern  Europe.  If 
the  Gulf  Stream  should  cease  to  flow  eastward,  what 
would  happen?  If  spiritual  influences  from  America 
should  no  longer  pour  toward  Europe,  Asia,  and 
Africa,  especially  in  these  days  of  conflicts  and  na- 
tional testings,  how  soon  would  the  loss  to  the  Chris- 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  183 

tian  ideals  of  the  world  be  felt,  and  what  spiritual  har- 
vests would  never  ripen?  Dr.  L.  C.  Barnes  has  inter- 
estingly said  in  his  book,  Elemental  Forces  in  Home 
Missions,  that  America  is  Messianic,  To  Christianize 
certain  nations  and  all  the  national  groups  of  the  earth 
living  in  this  land  is  to  make  the  country  the  Messiah 
to  all  the  darkened  peoples  of  the  world. 

A  Providential  Preparation.  America  has  enjoyed 
a  providential  preparation  for  exerting  a  Christian, 
world-wide,  gentle,  but  predominating  influence.  It 
was  well  born  in  poverty  and  in  the  right  zone  for 
rugged  growth.  Its  inheritance  and  environment  have 
attracted  many  of  the  world's  best  people  of  achieve- 
ment and  ambition.  America  had  a  new  and  strong 
start  in  life.  Its  driving  power  has  been  Christian 
optimism.  In  it  the  ideal  man  of  world-wide  sym- 
pathy is  to  be  developed.  America  has  had  plenty  of 
room  in  which  to  develop  a  national  laboratory.  Its 
experiment  of  life  in  the  open  air  of  freedom  has 
attracted  many  millions  of  men  wearied  of  national 
oppression  and  of  religious  despotism.  America  is 
the  crucible  in  which  the  national  strains  are  being 
mixed.  The  dross  is  cast  aside  but  the  new  amalgam 
is  the  material  out  of  which  wjorld  leaders  will  be 
fashioned. 

The  Cutting  Edge  of  America.  If  the  churches  do 
well  their  task  the  cutting  edge  of  America  will  be  that 
of  a  Christian  nation  whose  democracy  is  the  foe  of 
despotism,  and  whose  freedom  of  life  and  of  faith 
will  become  increasingly  attractive  to  those  in  other 


184  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

lands  now  oppressed  by  religious  systems.  After  the 
great  war  now  devastating  the  nations  America's  influ- 
ence must  be  larger  than  ever.  The  churches,  there- 
fore, and  the  missionary  organizations  uniting  to  make 
the  nations  Christian  must  be  strongly  supported  and 
generously  maintained  in  these  days,  when  a  civiliza- 
tion that  appeared  to  be  Christian  has  been  almost  shat- 
tered. America  reaches  out  to  bless  the  peoples  of  the 
world,  daily  brought  nearer  together  by  science  and 
invention.  The  hand  grasp  of  the  Panama  Canal 
makes  the  shores  of  two  oceans  and  two  continents  into 
international  neighborhoods.  The  evangelical  churches 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada  have  the  greatest  op- 
portunities ever  entrusted  to  groups  of  Christian 
believers  to  extend  a  knowledge  of  the  gospel  not  only 
to  the  incoming  millions  from  other  lands,  to  all  in 
the  Latin-American  republics  of  North  and  South 
America,  and  to  the  peoples  living  in  the  West  Indies, 
but  also  to  the  backward  and  non-Christian  of  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth. 

Human  Imports.  America  is  importing  through 
Ellis  Island  and  similar  places  raw  material  from  all 
the  nations.  Some  of  this  human  material  regarded 
as  contaminated  or  radically  faulty  is  excluded.  The 
sieve  of  Ellis  Island  is  supposed  to  sift  out  the  human 
chaff,  and  it  is  pathetic  to  think  of  this  blown  back  by 
adverse  winds  to  the  lands  from  which  it  came. 

Some  of  this  raw  material  of  human  life  is  passed 
through  the  American  picking  machine,  carder,  spin- 
ning-frame, and  in  the  loom  the  design  of  freedom  and 


THE  CHURCH  AMONG  THE  NATIONS  185 

purpose  appears  in  the  cloth.  In  this  achievement  the 
pubHc  school  and  the  churches  have  unconsciously 
v^^orked  hand  in  hand.  Some  of  these  unpromising 
imports  are  diamonds  in  the  rough.  They  are  uneven 
and  require  much  cutting  and  polishing  by  skilful 
hands  on  the. stones  of  education  and  religion.  But 
when  this  is  done  they  flash  forth  the  hidden  light  and 
find  their  proper  setting  in  the  social  and  industrial 
orders. 

Other  imports  are  so  plastic  that  they  need  to  be 
mixed  v^^ith  the  stronger  materials  of  faith  and  love 
before  they  can  be  safely  set  into  the  permanent  forms 
of  American  Christian  life.  All  oi  this  new  human 
material  in  the  finished  state,  however,  as  little  re- 
sembles its  first  condition  as  the  bronze  statue  reminds 
one  of  the  ores  from,  which  it  was  made. 

Spiritual  Exports.  America's  greatest  exports  are 
not  her  grain  and  manufactures,  but  her  finished  spir- 
itual products — men  and  women  transformed  by  edu- 
cation and  freedom  and  transfigured  by  the  gospel  of 
Christ.  These  redeemed  souls  will  carry  America's 
business  methods,  liberty,  equality,  fraternity,  neigh- 
borliness,  community  spirit,  initiative,  brotherhood, 
evangelistic  methods,  and  the  passion  for  Christian 
service  into  all  the  nations  of  the  world.  East,  west, 
north,  and  south,  American  men  and  women  trained 
by  the  Christian  churches  will  be  scattered  as  the  living 
seed  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  as  residents,  mer- 
chants, travelers,  and  missionaries  will  give  the  world 
their  best.    All  the  nations  of  the  earth  want  the  best 


186  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

and  without  doubt  will  ultimately  have  it.  Other 
lands,  which  have  given  good  heed  to  the  gospel  of 
Christ  and  have  yielded  abundant  harvests  that  are 
imperiled  by  the  devastations  of  war,  will  doubtless 
continue  to  contribute  their  full  share  to  the  forces 
and  influences  striving  for  the  world's  redemption. 
But  the  fortunate  position  of  America,  which,  it  is 
hoped,  will  never  become  involved  in  international 
complications,  will  combine  with  all  the  spiritual  forces 
noted  in  this  volume  to  enable  the  evangelical  Churches 
of  the  new  world  to  give  to  the  backward  nations,  in 
large  measure  and  running  over,  the  simple  and  true 
gospel  of  Christ,  which  alone  can  save  their  peoples 
from  their  sins  and  give  to  them  individual,  social, 
national,  and  international  salvation. 


MASTER  WORKMEN 


VIII    . 

MASTER  WORKMEN 

The  Oneness  of  All  Sacrificial  Service.  An  inspiring 
feature  of  modern  life  is  the  passion  for  service 
which  has  seized  the  hearts  of  so  many  people.  A  great 
variety  of  agencies  are  at  work  to  help  the  poor  and 
the  unfortunate,  and  one  has  only  to  study  the  annual 
report  of  the  associated  charities  in  any  city  to  learn 
how  far-reaching  and  numerous  are  the  gifts  of 
money  and  service  for  human  bettennent.  Many  of 
those  who  are  helping  are  inspired  by  the  Christian 
motive  or  are  intimately  connected  with  the  churches 
to  whose  charities  also  they  freely  give.  But  a  great 
multitude  of  men  and  women  of  genuine  compassion, 
but  partially  or  fully  estranged  from  the  churches,  are 
showing  their  sympathy  and  are  making  sacrificial 
gifts  of  lalx)r  and  gold  to  help  those  who  are  in  tempo- 
rary distress  or  whose  courage  and  hope  have  been  al- 
most broken  on  the  wheels  of  sin  and  misfortune. 

Better  Service  Values  Needed.  It  ought  not  to  be 
hard  for  those  who  are  toiling  with  spiritual  problems 
and  who  are  ministering  to  the  endless  stream  of  dis- 
couraged and  broken-hearted  human  beings,  pointing 
them  to  the  Lamb  of  God  who  takes  away  the  sin  of 
the  world,  to  realize  that  those  who  are  devoting  their 
lives  to  correcting  the  evils  of  overcrowded  tenement- 

189 


190  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

houses,  poor  sanitation,  the  saloon  system  and  brothel, 
are  serving  the  Lord  in  an  equally  valid  manner.  Per- 
haps ministers  of  the  churches  have  sometimes  had  just 
cause  for  not  regarding  social  settlement  work  as  con- 
ducted by  certain  persons  an  integral  part  of  Chris- 
tian service.  It  is  doubtless  equally  true  that  many 
social  settlement  workers  have  been  strengthened  in 
their  misunderstandings  of  the  churches  by  remarks 
they  have  heard  concerning  the  shallowness  and  nar- 
rowness of  settlement  work.  Would  not  frequent  con- 
ferences and  intimate  acquaintance  between  the  min- 
isters of  the  churches  and  those  who  minister  in  the 
slums  make  each  devoted  to  every  part  of  the  work 
which  the  influence  of  Christ  has  made  possible  in  the 
world  ? 

Dr.  Tippy,  formerly  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  many 
other  ministers  of  Christ  are  showing  their  people  that 
all  service  honestly  done  in  any  public  office  or  private 
trusteeship,  in  education,  in  political,  social,  or  eco- 
nomic relationships,  has  in  it  high  spiritual  values. 
They  have  so  deeply  interested  themselves  in  human 
welfare  tasks  that  workers  in  these  departments  have 
flocked  to  enjoy  their  ministries  and  to  labor  with  them 
in  their  parish  undertakings.  In  some  instances  those 
who  had  been  estranged  and  prejudiced  have  felt  a 
new  loyalty  to  the  Church  and  its  unifying  influence. 
They  have  seen  that  Christ  spiritualizes  all  the  activ- 
ities of  life  and  has  forever  broken  down  the  wall  of 
partition  between  the  secular  and  the  religious.  They 
have  come  to  realize  that  the  cup  of  cold  water  may  be 


MASTER  WORKMEN  191 

a  cup  of  salvation  if  the  hand  that  holds  it  to  parched 
lips  get  its  strength  from  a  heart  beating  with  love  for 
God  and  humanity. 

Problem  of  the  Unemployed.  A  study  of  typical 
cases  where  men  and  women  with  the  Christian  spirit 
have  discovered  important  pieces  of  work  to  do  should 
be  an  inspiration  to  others  to  undertake  definite  Chris- 
tian service.  Pastors  and  missionary  secretaries  are 
the  walking  delegates  going  about  among  the  spirit- 
ual workmen.  They  are  urging  them  to  work  longer 
hours  and  to  give  more  money;  not  to  ask  for  their 
rights,  but  to  give  others  the  gospel.  They  tell  men  to 
turn  the  other  cheek  when  they  are  attacked,  and  to 
give  the  cloak  when  the  coat  is  demanded,  and  to  go 
the  second  mile. 

The  men  in  the  Church  are  not  striking ;  they  simply 
do  not  know  how  to  work  and  where  to  find  opportu- 
nities to  serve  their  fellow  men.  They  leave  a  service 
inspired  to  do  something,  but  how  often  do  they  find 
the  thing  to  do?  The  percentage  of  the  unemployed 
among  the  skilful  trades  in  New  York  in  good  times  is 
considerable;  in  bad  times  it  is  dangerously  large. 
How  large  is  the  percentage  of  the  unemployed  in  the 
churches?  There  are  no  bad  times  in  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Every  day  brings  its  good  and  wholesome  work. 
The  workmen  are  streaming  out  of  our  churches  with 
high  purposes.  Their  tools  are  in  their  hands,  often 
burnished  bright  by  culture.  How  frequently  do  Chris- 
tians use  these  tools  and  how  often  do  they  do  their 
work  except  in  glorious  intention  ? 


192  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

Pastor's  New  Helpers:  Masters  of  Methods.    The 

ministers  of  the  Churches  are  overwhehned  with  the 
multitude  of  calls  for  their  strength  and  time.  Their 
pulpit  work  and  regular  pastoral  duties  leave  them 
httle  energy  or  opportunity  for  much  service  that  must 
be  done,  if  the  local  church  does  its  tasks  well. 

In  a  rural  community  the  pastor  must  be  a  genius 
to  do  as  much  as  is  required ;  for  he  must  not  only  do 
his  own  work  but  lay  out  definite  pieces  of  service  for 
the  members  of  his  church.  By  selecting  committees 
with  efficient  heads  this  is  done,  and  it  is  now  possible 
to  perceive  conspicuous  examples  of  success  on  every 
side. 

These  Assistants  Guide  Others.  In  the  smaller 
church  the  pastor  must  be  the  master  workman,  but 
in  larger  centers  he  can  devote  himself  to  his  own 
intensive  service  and  have  paid  assistants,  who  will 
be  the  master  workmen  whom  he  inspires  and  counsels 
so  as  to  interest  the  rank  and  file  of  the  churches  to  do 
their  separate  kinds  of  Christian  service  large  and 
small. 

These  pastoral  assistants  discover  the  work  for 
others  and  guide  them  to  it,  explain  how  it  may  be 
done,  keep  a  record  of  its  execution,  and  report  to  the 
minister,  who  prays  with  and  counsels  his  master  work- 
men. Through  such  suggestions  the  members  of  the 
church  discover  new  ways  to  serve  Christ,  by  which 
each  one  exerts  a  Christian  influence  in  his  business, 
keeping  his  promises,  taking  a  part  in  church  benevo- 
lences, and  in  those  outside  philanthropic  and  spiritual 


MASTER  WORKMEN  193 

institutions  which  are  the  secondary  resuhs  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

Revision  of  Methods  a  Quick  Result.  Church- 
members  intelligently  directed  by  pastors  or  by  de- 
partment expert  advisers  who  are  masters  of  methods 
in  Christian  work  soon  get  a  new  vision  of  service  and 
are  filled  with  a  passion  whose  fires  refine  their  spirit- 
ual natures. 

The  Dynamic  of  a  Vision.  A  vision  of  a  great  op- 
portunity, with  its  widened  horizon  and  increase  of 
knowledge,  may  make  one  visionary,  if  he  does  not 
put  into  his  life  a  larger  enthusiasm  and  a  greater  pur- 
pose. The  value  of  a  vision  is  in  the  revision  which 
it  brings.  The  vision  which  the  disciples  had  in  the 
upper  room  brought  them  not  only  their  Pentecost  but 
many  revisions  of  thought,  purpose,  and  method.  The 
vision  given  to  Peter  on  the  housetop  caused  him  to 
revise  his  thought  concerning  preaching  to  a  Gentile 
family.  The  vision  Paul  had  on  his  way  to  Damascus 
made  him  a  preacher  of  a  new  gospel,  although  it  took 
him  months  to  think  out  his  gospel  and  to  revise  his 
ideas  of  j>ersonal  religion.  The  vision  of  justification 
by  faith  for  Augustine  and  later  for  Luther  was  the 
hinge  on  which  swung  wide  open  the  door  that  no 
group  of  men  and  no  combination  of  forces  have  yet 
shut.  A  vision  of  neglected  peoples,  of  new  methods 
of  doing  old  work  and  of  old  methods  of  doing  new 
work,  will  always  make  the  discoverers  quickly  revise 
their  diagnosis  of  spiritual  maladies  and  their  methods 
of  treatment.     A  vision  is  the  dynamic  that  deranges 


194  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

past  thought  and  rearranges  present  thinking.  The 
revisions  bring  freshness  of  statement,  increase  of 
energy,  boldness  of  attack,  Christian  initiative,  heroic 
undertakings,  and  fertile  plans. 

Speaking  the  Truth  in  Clear  Words.  We  find  men 
to-day  revising  their  statements  of  truth.  This  does 
not  mean  that  they  do  not  believe  what  they  formerly 
did,  but  they  state  it  in  terms  of  biology  rather  than 
in  terms  of  government.  They  translate  legal  ideas 
into  life  values.  They  preach  the  old  doctrines  of 
faith  in  metaphors  of  peace  rather  than  of  war.  They 
explain  salvation  in  words  that  are  scientific  rather 
than  philosophic.  They  find  their  illustrations  of  grace 
and  of  salvation  in  the  familiar  events  of  every-day 
life,  which  forever  suggest  to  the  people  the  teachings 
of  Jesus  and  the  glory  of  his  grace.  They  build  the 
way  of  salvation  with  modern  concrete  blocks,  not  with 
ancient,  rut-worn  paving-stones. 

New  Parables.  They  believe  that  if  Jesus  were  here 
he  would  take  the  most  familiar  objects,  which  men 
handle  and  use  and  talk  about,  and  from  such  objects 
build  the  parables  of  his  Kingdom.  They  believe  that 
if  he  were  preaching  in  America  he  could  not  see 
cement  poured  into  molds  and  there  set  firmly  with- 
out teaching  men  the  parable  of  the  cement.  They 
believe  that  if  he  were  interpreting  to-day  his  gospel 
to  the  people  of  this  century  he  would  use  the  parable 
of  the  automobile,  the  flying  machines,  the  wireless, 
the  telephone,  the  reaping  machine,  the  plow,  the  har- 
row, the  cultivator,  the  sprayer,  electricity,  the  dynamo, 


MASTER  WORKMEN  195 

the  steamboat,  the  triple  expansion  engine.  To  him 
all  the  inventions  and  discoveries  in  the  arts  and  crafts 
and  sciences,  the  revelations  of  the  microscope,  the 
telescope,  and  stethoscope,  the  spectroscope,  the  Roent- 
gen rays,  and  everything  else,  would  be  plastic  material 
out  of  which  he  would  fashion  messages  of  repentance, 
forgiveness,  love,  faith,  peace,  purity,  and  the  judg- 
ment day. 

The  Opinion  of  a  Judge.  To  speak  to  the  people  in 
a  language  which  they  can  understand,  and  to  inter- 
pret the  gospel  in  the  forms  of  every-day  speech,  is 
a  great  art  which  an  increasing  company  of  persons 
are  learning  with  delightful  results.  To  use  words 
not  understood  is  to  that  degree  preaching  the  gospel 
in  an  unknown  tongue,  which  St.  Paul  condemned.  In 
Lincoln  Dodge,  Layman,  Judge  Comstock  interrupts 
Dr.  Judkins,  who  is  speaking  on  "Religious  Astigmat- 
ism," with  these  words : 

"In  the  country  church  where  I  grew  up,  we  had  a 
minister  who  was  a  very  learned  man,  and  preached 
what  we  regarded  as  good  sermons,  but  nearly  all  his 
illustrations  were  drawn  from  historical  sources  about 
which  the  people  in  the  church  knew  next  to  nothing. 
By  and  by,  however,  after  he  went  away,  the  deacons 
talked  the  matter  over,  and  when  a  young  man,  just 
graduated  from  the  seminary,  was  about  to  be  called 
to  the  pastorate,  they  wanted  to  make  sure  he  should 
know  just  what  kind  of  preaching  the  church  de- 
manded. And  so,  after  the  Sunday  morning  service, 
they  asked  the  candidate  to  go  down  into  the  vestry 


196  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

with  them  to  have  a  httle  talk.  A  moment  later,  as 
they  were  sitting  around  the  old  wood  stove,  Deacon 
Rideout,  who  was  nearly  eighty,  said: 

**  'My  young  brother,  we  are  willing  to  call  you  if 
you  will  solemnly  promise  one  thing,  and  that  is,  if 
you  come  to  be  our  minister  you  will  leave  Greece  and 
Rome  alone!'  The  young  man  solemnly  promised, 
and  when  he  came  among  us,  drew  his  illustrations 
from  stone  walls,  planting,  plowing,  harrowing,  har- 
vests, trees,  birds,  flowers,  rivers,  the  dew  and  rain, 
the  tides,  and  everything  else  we  were  seeing  or  hand- 
ling every  day.  It  was  a  tremendous  change  I  can  tell 
you,  for  in  that  man's  ministry  it  seemed  as  if  every- 
thing around  us  became  spiritualized,  and  I  never 
returned  to  the  old  place  but  that  the  holy  associations, 
created  by  his  simple  sennons,  overwhelmed  me  with  a 
flood  of  sacred  memories." 

A  Better  Way  to  Labor.  New  visions  of  the  work- 
men and  of  the  fields  that  need  to  be  intensively  culti- 
vated, call  for  revisions  in  methods  of  work.  A  society 
that  may  have  been  helpful  in  past  years  but  is  not 
fitted  to  changed  conditions  should  give  place  to  an 
organization  charged  with  spiritual  vitality;  not  be- 
cause it  is  new,  but  because  it  is  adapted  to  definite 
and  present  needs.  Souls  may  be  reached  through 
direct  or  indirect  methods,  but  the  approach  must 
always  be  vital.  The  attention  of  the  person  to  be 
assisted  spiritually  must  be  gained,  held,  and  directed 
to  his  o\\ai  inner  needs. 

Working  in  Clay.     The  formative  period  in  child 


MASTER  WORKMEN  197 

life  must  not  be  allowed  to  pass.  The  large  percentage 
of  children  in  many  congregations  that  later  are  lost 
to  the  Christian  life  and  the  church-membership  is  a 
sad  commentary  on  the  approach  to  the  souls  of  chil- 
dren. One  church  reported  107  boys  and  girls  receiv- 
ing instruction  in  the  Scriptures,  all  tending  to  bring 
them  into  a  living  touch  with  Christ.  These  were  pres- 
ent at  one  meeting  on  Friday  afternoon,  after  the  public 
schools  were  closed.  In  this  church  nearly  all  the  chil- 
dren are  taught  by  the  assistant  pastor,  and  very  few 
of  them,  even  in  the  homes  which  are  not  religious, 
are  lost  to  the  Sunday-school,  to  church-membership, 
and  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  When  they  are  received 
into  membership  in  the  church  it  is  plainly  apparent 
that  the  instruction  received  on  those  afternoons  was 
very  helpful,  and  in  the  majority  of  instances  led  to 
their  spiritual  decisions. 

And  yet,  ten  blocks  away  in  the  same  city  another 
church  with  still  larger  numbers  of  children  in  the  Sun- 
day-school has  no  such  method  of  reaching  and  teach- 
ing the  boys  and  girls,  and  when  they  come  into  the 
church-membership,  which  they  do  in  smaller  num- 
bers, there  seems  to  be  no  way  of  instructing  them  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  faith.  They  drift  away,  perplexed, 
lonely,  and  ignorant.  Without  doubt  the  early  Church 
gave  careful  instruction  before  and  after  converts 
entered  the  church.  A  revision  of  methods  in  these 
respects  is  one  of  the  crying  demands  of  modern  or- 
ganized Christian  activities. 

Conversion  and  Reversion.     There  should  be  a  re- 


198  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

vision  also  of  our  attitude  toward  converts.  Leaks  and 
losses  in  church-membership  can  be  traced  very  largely 
to  the  widely  prevailing  thought  that  one  has  done 
his  duty  by  the  new  member  when  he  has  introduced 
him  into  the  family  of  the  church.  The  value  of  con- 
version is  appreciated  by  all  who  believe  the  Savior's 
words :  "Except  ye  turn,  and  become  as  little  children, 
ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

But  to  see  converts  revert  to  careless  living  and  drift 
away,  is  to  note  the  losses  that  should  be  and  can  be 
averted,  with  watchcare  and  loving  attention.  Hands 
that  do  not  work  weaken  and  at  last  wither.  The 
changes  which  have  sprung  up  within  and  without  the 
churches  have  shown  the  urgency  of  revising  our  meth- 
ods in  dealing  with  young  people,  and  especially  with 
young  men.  The  approach  must  be  direct  and  the 
method  so  transparent  that  no  reproach  will  be  brought 
upon  the  gospel.  The  young  people  in  our  churches 
ought  not  to  be  satisfied  with  attendance  at  prayer- 
meetings.  They  must  not  only  receive  a  blessing  but 
must  be  a  blessing.  They  must  not  only  be  getters  but 
givers.  In  certain  churches  where  the  young  people 
have  been  organized  for  aggressive  Christian  service 
the  results  have  been  marvelous.  In  other  churches 
the  young  people  have  drifted  from  the  church  and 
into  the  ways  of  life  that  brought  anxiety  to  their 
friends  and  ruin  to  their  own  earlier  ideals. 

A  church  holding  its  men,  organizing  them  into 
large  classes,  developing  energy  and  methods  for  at- 
tracting still   other  men,   is   an   illustration  of  what 


TYPICAL  MOUNTAIXEEK  HUME 
CHURCH  FOE  MOUNTAINEERS 


MASTER  WORKMEN  199 

can  be  done  under  wise  leadership,  and  when  some- 
thing- definite  is  attempted.  The  success  of  one  church 
is  contrasted  with  another  parish  where  the  men  are 
not  organized  and  where  old  methods  which  are  really 
no  methods  are  employed. 

Where  the  Tide  Turned.  In  a  city  in  the  Middle 
West  in  a  church  that  was  regarded  as  wrongly  placed 
in  a  down-town  section  with  congregations  growing 
smaller  and  with  a  Sunday-school  that  was  rapidly 
decreasing  to  a  point  of  utter  discouragement,  a  min- 
ister who  had  once  served  as  a  secretary  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  was  called  to  begin  his 
work.  In  a  few  years  the  Sunday-school  became  thor- 
oughly organized,  and  good  assistants  were  provided 
to  guide  the  workers.  The  tides  of  spiritual  results 
and  members  have  constantly  increased  until  the 
church  is  now  filled  with  worshipers  a  large  part  of 
whom  also  are  earnest  workers  in  extending  the  influ- 
ence of  the  church,  the  Sunday-school,  the  Young 
Men's  League,  and  all  other  organizations  into  the 
remotest  parts  of  the  city.  This  down-town  neighbor- 
hood has  been  thoroughly  worked.  The  result  in  this 
church  was  brought  about  by  a  revision  of  methods, 
and  is  typical  of  w^hat  can  be  accomplished  in  a  multi- 
tude of  instances  where  discouragement  has  seized  the 
people  with  its  paralyzing  and  benumbing  effects.  In 
this  church  above  mentioned,  as  in  the  early  Church, 
the  number  of  those  who  are  being  added  to  the  Lord 
is  constantly  increasing. 

The  Calls  to  Special  Service.    Out  of  the  member- 


200  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

ship  of  the  churches  should  come  each  year  an  army 
of  workers  to  volunteer  for  various  forms  of  mission- 
ary service.  The  call  for  ministers  for  the  churches 
in  America  and  for  missionaries  for  the  foreign  field 
is  heeded  by  a  large  number.  It  is  not  probably  widely 
known,  however,  that  an  ever-increasing  variety  of 
workers  are  required  for  the  various  kinds  of  mis- 
sionary tasks  in  this  land  of  complex  spiritual  needs. 
Almost  every  day  a  new  type  of  service  is  calling  for 
a  consecrated  man  or  woman  whose  experience  and 
interest  in  church  work  has  been  the  telephone  wire 
through  which  God  has  spoken  his  call  to  a  wider  labor 
to  which  one's  entire  time  and  strength  can  be  given. 

Church  Specialists.  The  call  for  pastors'  assistants, 
is  rising  from  a  growing  number  of  churches.  Some 
of  these  would  need  a  special  preparation  which  resi- 
dence in  a  training  school  would  give.  Calling  on 
the  sick  and  shut-in  people,  caring  for  the  poor,  find- 
ing places  of  employment,  specializing  in  work  for 
boys  or  for  girls,  supervising  playgrounds,  roof- 
gardens,  gymnasiums,  and  branch  Sunday-schools, 
teaching  industrial  classes  and  home-making  courses, 
conducting  a  social  settlement,  vacation  Bible  schools, 
and  summer  camps,  for  various  types  of  children  are 
all  calling  insistently  for  special  salaried  workers. 

Church  offices  also  need  accurate  stenographers  who 
are  trained  to  use  card  catalog  devices  and  to  keep 
simple  accounts.  One  pastor  has  been  anxiously 
searching  for  a  young  woman  of  college  training,  who 
can  be  his  secretary,  take  stenographic  notes,   as  he 


MASTER  WORKMEN  201 

may  wish,  conduct  his  correspondence,  keep  track  of 
his  pastoral  calls  and  the  changes  in  the  residences  of 
his  parishioners,  and  between  her  other  duties  make 
herself  helpful  to  young  women  who  have  no  home 
life.  He  would  ask  her  to  invite  fifteen  of  these  young 
people  to  his  spacious  church  study  at  five  o'clock  each 
Sunday  afternoon,  where  before  an  open  fire  they 
can  meet  the  pastor  and  a  few  of  the  church  people. 
Tea  will  be  poured,  light  refreshments  served,  and  then 
all  will  adjourn  to  the  later  services  of  the  day,  better 
acquainted  and  helped  in  many  ways.  This  pastor 
almost  despairs  of  finding  the  right  person  to  do  this 
fascinating  work  for  which  the  church  budget  has 
made  ample  provision. 

State  and  City  Mission  Work.  The  city  and  state 
mission  societies  also  need  specially  trained  men  and 
women  to  supervise  various  religious  activities.  Each 
secretary  needs  a  trained  assistant  to  care  for  the  de- 
tails of  his  office  work  and  others  to  lead  in  special 
forms  of  service.  The  larger  missionaiy  societies  also 
must  have  a  staff  of  office  helpers,  who  are  skilful  and 
conscientious. 

National  Mission  Work.  The  Negro  schools  in  the 
South,  the  Indian  schools  in  the  West,  and  the  schools 
in  Alaska,  in  the  southwestern  states  where  Mexicans 
live,  and  in  Mexico,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Hawaii,  and 
the  Philippines,  all  need  hundreds  of  men  and  women 
to  teach  or  be  librarians  or  matrons  or  bookkeepers 
and  secretaries  to  the  head  workers. 

Mission  hospitals  in  the  Southwest,  and  among  Span- 


202  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

ish-speaking  peoples  also  need  physicians,  nurses, 
orderlies,  and  superintendents.  The  Bible  Societies 
and  Tract  Societies  must  constantly  have  a  new  supply 
of  distributing  agents.  The  Publication  Societies  also 
need  colporteurs,  to  go  on  foot  or  by  horse  or  carriage, 
in  automobile,  launch,  or  chapel-car,  to  distribute  Chris- 
tian literature  in  neglected  places  and  to  hold  simple 
services  in  homes,  schoolhouses,  and  neglected  regions. 
The  women's  mission  societies  constantly  need  teachers, 
and  special  workers  to  labor  among  the  various  nation- 
alities and  among  the  poor  and  friendless. 

Other  Calls.  In  addition  to  those  directly  connected 
with  the  churches  and  the  mission  societies  are  a  great 
number  of  places  into  which  many  may  enter  who 
wish  to  devote  their  lives  to  special  service.  Among 
these  are  the  various  and  growing  lines  of  work  in 
government  Indian  schools,  social  settlements,  and 
welfare  efforts,  conducted  by  both  young  men  and 
women  throughout  the  nation,  and  also  teaching  in  the 
government  schools  in  Alaska  and  our  island  posses- 
sions. 

The  Needs  of  One  Missionary  Society.  In  the 
southern  states  this  one  society  employs  thirty-eight 
presidents  and  principals,  twenty-six  professors  in  col- 
legiate and  professional  schools,  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen high  school  instructors,  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  grade  teachers,  forty-one  to  teach  industrial 
courses  for  girls,  twenty-six  to  give  instruction  in 
mechanical  industry,  nine  agricultural  instructors, 
thirty-eight  music  teachers,  four  commercial  instruc- 


>rrui;rr.\iTv  i-mk  skkxhi:.  sani  iai  h  i.  (  i  i;.'v 


MASTER  WORKMEN  203 

tors,  forty-nine  matrons  and  preceptresses,  and  nine- 
teen treasurers  and  clerks. 

Among  the  Indians  this  board  has  twenty-two  teach- 
ers in  the  mission  schools,  and  in  Porto  Rico  three 
women  missionaries  and  seven  teachers  are  required. 
Among  the  Orientals,  fifteen  white  workers  and 
twenty-three  native  assistants  are  needed.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  there  are  more  than  twenty-five 
home  mission  societies  and  related  organizations  in  the 
United  States  calling  each  year  for  an  army  of  special 
and  trained  Christian  workers. 

The  Passion  for  Service 

Let  the  Workers  Scatter.  It  was  the  theory  of  Dr. 
A.  J.  Gordon  that  the  church  through  its  morning  wor- 
ship should  give  instruction  and  inspiration.  Then  he 
expected  few  of  his  leading  members  to  be  present  at 
the  Sunday  evening  service,  but  encouraged  them  to 
go  to  every  place  where  they  could  be  of  help.  Some 
of  their  outside  work  was  assigned  to  them  by  the 
church  and  the  pastors'  assistant,  but  the  most  of  it 
was  discovered  by  themselves.  They  toiled  in  various 
parts  of  greater  Boston,  in  open  air  services,  in  mis- 
sions, in  calling  on  the  poor,  visiting  the  jails,  render- 
ing lowly  social  sennce,  and  looking  for  open  doors 
of  Christian  opportunity.  Dr.  Gordon  taught  his 
people  that  they  must  not  only  be  skilful  in  winning 
men  to  the  service  of  the  Lord  but  that  they  should 
also  correct  every  social  and  political  institution  or 
custom  which  wrecks  the  homes  and  lives  of  the  people. 


204  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

The  interesting  result  of  such  service,  at  first  directed 
by  others,  is  that  the  Church  should  be  resourceful  and 
discover  new  forms  of  Christian  labor,  about  which 
the  beginners  may  advise  in  their  perplexities  with  their 
friends  the  master  workmen.  The  inventiveness  and 
initiative  and  tact  shown  by  those  who  have  learned  a 
new  joy  in  service  is  the  immediate  proof  of  the  worth 
of  specialists  in  departmental  church  activities. 

A  Modern  New  World  Discovered.  An  open  door 
of  service  came  many  years  ago  to  Mr.  Williams  in 
London.  He  did  not  give  up  his  business:  he  simply 
began  a  task  in  his  own  store  among  his  clerks.  This 
has  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Young  Alen's  and. 
Young  Women's  Christian  Associations  of  the  world 
and  to  enlisting  the  devotion  and  Christian  labor  of 
many  men  and  women  who  have  thus  learned  the  joy  of 
unselfish  service.  Mr.  Williams  found  in  his  own  orig- 
inal way  a  new  opportunity  to  do  Christian  work. 

Saving  the  Foreign  Children.  In  the  center  of  the 
mining  district  of  Pennsylvania  a  young  woman 
looked  out  with  a  breaking  heart  upon  the  spiritual 
destitution  among  the  Slovak  people  that  lived  in  her 
community.  She  realized  that  she  could  not  help  them 
until  she  could  speak  to  them  in  their  own  tongue. 
So  she  addressed  herself  to  the  study  of  the  language. 
Since  then  she  has  gained  an  excellent  working  knowl- 
edge of  Slovak  so  that  she  can  converse  in  it  fluently, 
and  is  thus  able  to  do  Christian  work  with  ease  and 
skill.  Soon  after  entering  the  church  she  became  inter- 
ested in  these  foreign  children  whom  she  saw  on  the 


MASTER  WORKMEN  205 

Streets  of  the  town,  and  when  she  discovered  how  dark 
and  twisted  their  lives  were  she  longed  to  help  them  to 
know  her  Savior. 

The  path  of  approach  was  very  hard,  and  she  pon- 
dered long  the  problem  that  at  first  baffled  her  solu- 
tion. Her  first  step  was  to  seek  the  acquaintance  of 
three  little  Slovak  girls  whom  she  invited  to  her  home. 
She  showed  them  pictures,  told  them  several  Bible 
stories,  and  asked  them  to  come  again.  They  did  so, 
and  brought  others  with  them.  She  soon  formed  a 
sewing  school,  and  on  the  first  afternoon  eight  girls 
were  present.  This  was  several  years  ago,  and  the 
number  has  grown  to  twenty-five,  and  on  one  occasion 
thirty-five  children  were  present. 

After  beginning  this  work  among  the  children  she 
saw  that  if  she  was  to  hold  them  she  must  win  the 
confidence  of  the  parents,  and  so  she  began  to  call  at 
their  homes.  She  was  well  received,  and  found  the 
mothers  and  fathers  to  be  friendly.  They  responded 
quickly  to  her  kindness  and  soon  she  had  their  con- 
fidence and  love.  She  early  learned  the  art  of  a  lov- 
ing ministry  and  her  kindness  in  sickness  and  distress 
made  her  the  good  Samaritan  to  an  ever-increasing 
number  of  Slovak  families. 

The  ease  with  which  she  learned  to  speak  a  foreign 
language  suggests  that  many  men  and  women  may  get 
a  simple  working  knowledge  of  at  least  one  foreign 
tongue.  This  would  open  new  doors  of  Christian  ser- 
vice. These  children  have  not  only  been  taught  to  sew, 
to  be  clean,  and  to  be  interested  in  good  books  and 


206  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

proper  games,  but  they  have  also  been  instructed  in 
the  way  of  Christ,  and  have  been  taught  to  pray  and 
to  love  the  Lord.  Has  not  this  zealous  young  woman 
pointed  out  a  path  to  Christian  work  which  many 
others  in  our  churches  who  have  leisure  and  ability 
for  service  might  well  enter  and  follow  with  patience, 
proving  again  that  the  open  door  of  social  service  is 
not  the  heritage  of  a  few  choice  souls? 

What  a  Merchant  Found.  For  many  years  a  busi- 
ness man  attended  church  once  a  Sunday,  served  as  a 
trustee  of  his  church,  went  to  an  occasional  banquet 
of  Christian  men,  heard  the  usual  advice  to  do  hard 
work,  but  did  none.  Suddenly  he  found  himself  in 
the  home  of  his  boyhood  in  a  small  city  where  the  for- 
eign population  was  a  problem  of  the  first  magnitude. 
He  whispered  to  his  pastor  that  he  would  like  to  get 
busy  and  would  be  willing  to  be  the  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school  if  no  one  else  could  be  found  to  do 
the  work.  The  minister  could  not  conceal  his  surprise 
at  the  offer,  but  he  promptly  brought  about  the  elec- 
tion. With  the  same  enthusiasm  and  ability  with 
which  he  conducts  a  national  business  this  man  pro- 
ceeded to  organize  that  Sunday-school.  The  effect 
was  electric.  It  is  now  the  largest  Bible  school  in 
the  community  and  has  several  branches.  Some  of 
them  are  larger  than  the  central  school  was  when  he 
took  it  in  hand.  Every  teacher  is  now  a  Christian 
worker,  deeply  imbued  with  the  same  zeal  which  burns 
in  the  heart  of  the  merchant.  Conversions  are  con- 
stant. 


MASTER  WORKMEN  207 

Finding  that  the  young  men  of  the  community  were 
not  properly  cared  for  and  that  the  boys  were  running 
the  streets  evenings  and  Sundays,  he  purchased  a  small 
business  block  and  transformed  it  into  a  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  with  gymnasium,  moving  pic- 
ture hall,  and  other  features.  He  maintains  this  work 
at  his  own  expense  and  when  friends  who  are  interested 
in  it  give  him  money,  he  puts  it  into  a  thank-offering 
box  and  passes  it  on  to  help  some  other  Christian  enter- 
prise. On  Sunday  afternoon  he  conducts  a  religious 
meeting  and  speaks  with  great  acceptance.  These  ser- 
vices have  yielded  Christian  harvests. 

Noticing  that  the  girls  and  young  women  of  the 
community  had  no  suitable  meeting-place  he  purchased 
a  home  for  their  improvement,  and  employs,  as 
in  the  men's  building,  one  or  two  special  workers.  He 
has  communicated  to  a  woman  of  leisure  his  own  spirit 
of  service  and  she  makes  on  the  average  ten  calls  a  day 
upon  poor  and  friendless  people  whom  she  is  con- 
stantly bringing  into  one  of  the  Sunday-schools  or 
associations. 

When  an  Italian  who  was  a  Christian  appeared  in 
one  of  the  meetings,  this  merchant,  who  is  an  expert 
in  reading  human  nature  and  judging  ability,  employed 
him  to  visit  his  countrymen  in  the  community.  This 
led  to  missionary  work  yielding  excellent  results. 

In  order  to  counteract  the  social  evils  of  the  city, 
a   campaign   was   waged   against   intemperance.      He 
rented  the  best  vacant  store  situated  in  the  heart  of  the ' 
worst  district  and  employed  a  man  and  his  wife  who 


208  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

were  especially  trained  to  rescue  the  intemperate  and  to 
bring  them  to  Christ.  Reading  and  simple  restaurant 
features  were  added,  and  the  work  went  forward  with 
results  that  amazed  the  community.  The  boys  were 
organized  and  sent  away  in  a  special  car  for  a  summer 
camp,  and  the  annual  picnic  of  the  Sunday-school  has 
become  a  day  never  to  be  forgotten.  It  is  said  that 
this  merchant  knows  the  names  of  a  thousand  boys 
and  girls  and  men  and  women  into  whose  homes  he 
frequently  goes.  In  days  of  sickness  and  distress,  in 
hours  of  temptation  and  sorrow,  his  presence  and 
words  are  those  of  a  man  of  God. 

The  amount  of  money  he  spends  each  year  on  these 
various  forms  of  Christian  work  and  social  service  he 
does  not  disclose  and  no  one  will  ever  know.  How 
many  men  and  women  of  wealth  might  begin  and  con- 
tinue similar  forms  of  social  service!  Such  labor  is 
not  patented. 

How  a  Community  Was  Lifted.  In  one  town  a 
great  religious  movement  has  been  started  in  a  neg- 
lected portion  where  the  people  were  in  a  pitiful 
condition  of  immorality  and  superstition.  A  cultured 
minister  has  spent  his  life  in  this  corner  of  the  world. 
Encouraged  by  outside  assistance  he  soon  developed 
the  giving  power  of  the  people,  erected  a  church,  built 
a  parsonage,  laid  out  a  cemetery,  and  (Sold  the  lots.  He 
has  seen  the  community  improved  beyond  his  fondest 
dreams.  Houses  have  been  painted,  yards  have  been 
cleaned,  fences  built,  children  properly  clothed,  and  all 
because  he  counted  no  life  common  or  unclean. 


MASTER  WORKMEN  209 

What  a  Kite  Did.  In  another  community  a  revival 
that  did  much  not  only  to  purify  family  life  and  lead 
many  souls  into  the  kingdom  of  God  but  also  to 
sweeten  the  atmosphere  of  the  entire  town  started  at 
the  time  of  a  pastor's  discouragement,  when  he  desper- 
ately spent  an  entire  day  in  making  a  large  kite  for  the 
boys  of  the  neighborhood  whom  he  had  not  thus  far 
been  able  to  influence.  Before  that  kite  was  finished 
he  was  surrounded  by  a  large  crowd  of  boys  and  men 
who  predicted  that  it  would  never  fly,  but  the  winds  of 
heaven  breathed  upon  it  and  it  mounted  skyward. 
From  that  moment  the  community  became  responsive 
to  his  leadership. 

Master  Workmen.  The  master  workmen  are  the 
Master's  workmen.  In  their  hands  are  the  master  keys 
of  faith,  hope,  and  love  which  can  unlock  the  doors 
closed  to  the  entrance  of  the  Son  of  God.  When 
Christ  enters  a  heart  darkness  goes  out,  light  comes  in. 
At  once  the  "expulsive  power  of  a  new  affection"  impels 
the  heart  of  the  disciple  to  find  his  place  of  labor  in  the 
church  of  his  choice,  where  in  fellowship  with  kindred 
souls  he  can  exert  his  largest  influence  in  his  home,  busi- 
ness, professional,  social,  and  political  life.  When  all 
Christians  are  thus  toiling  and  all  churches  are  thus  at 
work,  the  spiritual  forces  in  America  will  overcome 
evil  with  good. 

Standing  Between  the  Seas.  Standing  between 
Europe  and  Asia,  America  has  the  secrets  of  liberty 
which  can  save  the  nations  from  the  perils  of  war  and 


210  THE  CHURCHES  AT  WORK 

from  the  jealousies  of  peace.  Her  ability  to  do  this 
will  depend  on  the  number  of  master  Christian  work- 
men the  evangelical  churches  can  produce,  and  the 
degree  to  which  these  leaders  can  guide  their  churches 
to  save  both  individuals  and  society.  The  aim  of  Chris- 
tianity is  to  lift  the  world  out  of  its  sin  and  to  bring  its 
people  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

In  the  fulness  of  time  America  comes  to  a  decisive 
hour  of  the  world's  history.  Representatives  of  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  are  crossing  her  mountains  and 
fields,  staying  for  awhile  in  her  cities,  and  often  fixing 
upon  permanent  residence.  They  are  influencing  the 
civilization  of  the  new  world  and  are  helping  to  mold 
the  characters  of  its  leaders  and  their  followers.  These 
foreigners,  Americanized  and  Christianized,  are  the  pre- 
pared medium  through  which  the  gospel  can  make  itself 
felt  in  all  the  earth. 

America  faces  a  profound  interest  in  religion,  art, 
and  government,  at  a  time  when  means  of  intercom- 
munication are  swift  and  constantly  improving  and  the 
avenues  of  trade  and  travel  are  unobstructed.  To 
restate  the  teachings  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples  in  the 
vital  language  of  science  and  of  personal  life  is  the  task 
of  the  present-day  interpreters  and  demonstrators  of 
Christianity.  The  churches  at  work  are  privileged  to 
labor  in  a  nation  adapted  to  all  races,  and  with  an  ability 
to  come  into  touch  through  trade  and  influence  with  all 
the  tribes  of  the  earth.  They  pass  forth  to  victory  when 
the  avenues  of  intercommunication  are  open  in  every 
direction,  when  men  are  whispering  over  the  seas  and 


MASTER  WORKMEN  211 

talking  across  the  continents,  and  when  there  is  the 
freest  interchange  of  ideas  concerning  government  and 
religion.  To-day  these  churches  at  work  find  their 
greatest  opportunity  to  bring  in  the  kingdom  of  God, 
when  large  associations  of  men  can  be  reached  through 
their  leaders,  and  when  organized  labor,  keen  brains, 
and  aspiring  hearts  are  eager  for  conference  and  debate 
in  thfeir  outreach  for  the  highest  individual  efficiency, 
the  largest  social  service,  and  the  supreme  leadership  of 
Christ  in  the  world's  life. 


i 


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INDEX 


INDEX 


Alabaster  boxes,  93-98 

Alaska,   147,   148.  202 

Ambitions,   15,   16,  90  _ 

Antagonism,  racial,  in  labor 
problem,  28 

Approach  to  The  Social  Ques- 
tion, The,  85 

Asiatic  workmen,  28,  30 

Atlanta,  Georgia,  171 

B 

Barnes,  Dr.  L.  C,  183 
Barnes,  Mrs.  L.  C,  177 
Between-town  regions,  55 
Bible,  a  Child's   Story  of  the, 

referred  to,  70 
Bible  in  the  schools,  122 
Big  brother  work,  87-89,  120 
Birds  migratory  and  of  pass- 
age as  terms   for  some  im- 
migrants,  165 
Booms  and  bubbles,  153 
Brotherhood,   37-39,    11 1 
Bryce,  James,  referred  to,  165 
Business  honesty,  9 
Business  men  and  rural  com- 
munity life,  114 
By-products  of  Christianity, 
133-135 


Cairns,  Professor,  referred  to, 

lOI 

Cambridge,    Mass.,    selectmen, 

Camera   club   influences   boys, 
120 


Camp  life  for  boys,  120 
Capital  and  labor,  31,  32,  37-39 
Caring  for   children  and  con- 
verts in  the  church,   196-198 
Caste  system,  30 
'•Cattle,"    applied    to    laborers, 

33,  34 

Cave-dwellers,  various,  and 
their  foes,  the  churches,  10,  11 

Century  of  Dishonor,  A,  re- 
ferred to,  24 

Character  conquers,  3 

Chicago,  152 

Children,  home  training  for,  70 

Christ.     See  Jesus  Christ 

Christian  Associations,  166, 167, 
204 

Christian,  contagion,  86,  87; 
countries  subject  to  change, 
29;  experience  the  founda- 
tion for  work,  100 ;  lives  and 
influence  of,  93,  94,  102 

Christianity  affecting  our  back- 
ward peoples,  races,  and 
sections,  155-157 

Church  a  Community  Force, 
The,  quoted,  115;  referred 
to,  168 

Church  and  Churches  or  de- 
nominations, growth  of,  11; 
work  of,  82 

Church  and  disciples,  early,  51 

Church  groups,  forming,  54,  55 

Church,  home,  and  school,  the, 
4 

Church,  local,  109;  its  genius, 
iii-liS;  its  members,  112, 
113;  its  task,  HI,  115-135, 
166 

Church,  the  city,  167 


221 


222 


INDEX 


Cigar  factory,  social  service  in 

a,  91 
Cities,  foreigners  in  American, 

165 
City,  burden  of  the,  171-181 
City   churches,   types   of,    167; 

uplifters,  169-171 
City  social  customs,  41 
Civic    righteousness    and    the 

church,   130 
Civil  War,  the,  and  missionary 

work,  39,  150 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  churches,  168 
Colby    College's    president    in 

Oldtown,  Maine,  65-66 
Community,    betterment,     126 ; 

difficulties,  112;  first  settlers, 

113;  home  of,  114;  lifted,  208 
Confidence,  ground  of,  47 
Connecticut,    foreigners   in,   44 
Conquest   of   Canada  and   the 

United  States,  the  spiritual, 

47 
Contagion  of  health,  85,  86 
Conversions  in  revivals,  53 
Cooperation,  the  new  religious, 

130-133 

Corrective  work,  88 

Country  home,  the,  42 

Courage  contagious,  86 

Creamery,  a,  and  community 
prosperity,  123 

Criticism  of  the  pioneer  mis- 
sionary, 155 

Crop-followers,  42 

Cuba,  147,  148,  201 

D 

Dearborn,  Fort,  152 

Decision  Day,  71,  72 

Demands  of  labor,  32 

Democracy,  181 ;  America's  in- 
ternational exchange,  182, 
183    . 

Denommational  dynamic,  the, 
.139 

Disease,  contagion  of,  85 


E 

Early  Christian,  centuries,  51 ; 
ways,  69 

Education,  higher,  41 

Educational  contrast,  an,  123 

Efficient  workers,  74 

El  Salvador,  148 

Elemental  Forces  in  Home 
Missions,  183 

Emmanuel  Church,  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  169 

Epworth  Church  of  Cleveland, 
167,  168 

Ethics  and  funds,  125 

European  war,  referred  to,  184 

Evangelism,  in  early  church 
period,  51,  52;  in  Middle 
Ages,  52;  in  modern  period, 
52-54;  pastoral  interest,  55- 
60;  resourceful  lay  workers, 
60-70;  training  in  the  home, 
70,  71 ;  wise  methods  in  Sun- 
day-schools, 71-73;  work  of 
young  people,  73,  74;  worthy 
message,  74-77 

Evangelization  problems,  43-46 

Evil  forces,  combating  the,  94- 

97 
Experience  and  efficiency,  100 
Exports,  spiritual,  185 


Fairbairn,  Principal,  quoted  on 
the  value  of  the  unit,  81 

Faith  and  works  related,  98 

Farms  and  foreigners,  39-43  _ 

Fellowship  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the,  106 

Field  work  and  Scripture  read- 
ing, 120 

Follow-up  work,  72 

Foreigners,  in  New  York  City, 
27;  how  to  reach  the,  176- 
179;  problem,  204;  size  of 
the  task,  180,  181 

Founders,  America's,  their  foes 
and  their  weapons,  3-5 


INDEX 


223 


Four,  kinds  of  church-mem- 
bers, 112;  words  expressing 
relation  to  Christ,  103-105 

Fraternal  organization,  sug- 
gestion from  a,  61,  62 

Friction,  industrial,  31-39;  race, 
23-31 

Friendliness,  cultivation  and 
effect  of,  92,  120 

From  Alien  to  Citizen,  quoted, 
32-34 

Funeral  occasions,  prayers  on, 
56,66 


Gifts,  values  of,  98 
Golden  Rule,  the,  30,  38,  39 
Good   motives,   words,   works, 

98 
Good  Samaritan,  the,  no 
Gordon,   Dr.  A.  J.,  theory  of 

service,  203 
Gospel,   simplicity  of,  yy;  the 

human  arm,  102 
Groups,  church,  139 


I 

Ideal  Americans,  8 

Illinois  swamp,  an,  152 

Inactivity  in  a  church,  60 

Inconsistencies,  a  few,  118,  128, 
129 

Indians,  North  American,  2;^, 
24,  149,  155,  158,  201,  202 

Individual,   the,   81-85 

Industrial  changes,  cause  of 
roving,  41 ;  study  of  condi- 
tions, 129 

Industrial  stimulus,  one  result 
of  an,  123 

Information,  the  pastor's  com- 
munity, 126 

Institutional  church  work,  166, 
167 

Intemperance,  cave-dwellers  of, 
10 

Intemperate  man's  helpers,  62, 
63 

Irreligion,  44-46 

Irrigation  projects,  154 


H 

Happy  thoughts,  93 
Hawaii,  147,  148,  201 
Health,  contagion  of,  85 
Hegel  on  the  individual,  81 
Helpers,  need  of,  94,  200 
Heredity,  84,  85 
High  business  standards,  115 
Holiday  celebrations,   uses  of, 

131,  132 
Hollanders  in  Michigan,  44 
Home   Missions   Council,   157; 

Indian  committee,  158 
Home,  the,  4 
Home     training     in     religious 

truth,  70 
Honesty  in  business,  115 
Household  piety  in  early  church 

times,  52 
Human  imports,  184 


Jesus  Christ,  methods  of,  103 ; 
present  popular  reverence 
for,  an  opportunity,  loi 

Jews,  130,  131 

Judson  Memorial  Church,  New 
York  City,  170 

K 

Kansas,  lay  leaders  in,  64 
Kingdom  of  God,  the,  15 
Kite,  work  of  a,  209 


Labor    and    the    church,    124; 

leaders,  31,  32 
Labor  Temple,  New  York  City, 

170 
Lake  Mohonk,  24 


224 


INDEX 


Lake,  Rev.  \V.  E.,  report  on  the 
Lawrence  strike,  34-37 

Lawrence  strike,  34-37 

Lay  evangelistic  leaders  and 
workers,  60-70,   198-21 1 

Leaders  in  uplift,  making,  157 

League  of  helpers,  a,  121 

Liberty,  personal,  business,  and 
religious,  124,  125 

Lincoln  Dodge,  Layman,  quot- 
ed, 195 

Looking  and  seeing,  172 

Losing  and  finding  one's  life, 
172,  173 

Louisville,  Ky.,  social  service 
work  in,  171 

Love  of  Christ,  the,  105 

Lumber  camps,  152,  153 

M 

Maine,  revival  in,  61-67 
Martineau,  James,  on  the  value 

of  the  individual,  81 
Members,  four  kinds  of  church, 

112,  113 
Message,  the,  74-77 
Messianic,  America,  183-186 
Mexico,  147,  148,  201 
Michigan,  Hollanders  in,  44 
Middle  Ages,  Christians  in  the, 

52 
Mining  camps,  152,  153 
Minister's  explorations  and  the 

results,  a,  56,  57 
Missionary  societies,  home,  12; 

organization  and  service,  140- 

150,  154,  200-203 
Modern    evangelists,    doctrines 

and  methods,  52 
Mohammedanism  and  race  fric- 
tion, 29 
"Mongrel  churches,"  140 
Moral  defective,  a,  118,  119 
Morehouse,     Dr.     Henry     L., 

quoted,  133 
Mormonism  and  Mormons,  14, 

IS8 


N 
National  missionary  work,  143- 

148;  specialists  needed  in,  201 
Neglected   Fields    Survey,   the, 

157 
Neglected  zones,  55-60 
Negroes,    24-27 ;    leaders    for, 

150;    progress    among,    155, 

157;    upHft    work    for,    171, 

201 
Neighbor,  the,  no 
New    York    City    churches    in 

uplift  work.  169-171 
New    York    City    social    work, 

87-S9 
Non-Protestants,  130,  131 
North  American   Indians.   See 

Indians,  North  American 

O 

Odd-Fellows'    Lodge    increase 

suggests  church  advance,  61, 

62 
Oldtown,   Maine,  lay  work  in, 

65-67 
One  girl's  social  service,  89,  90 
Organizations      developed     ty 

church  funds,  151 
Organized  labor,  31,  32 
Organizing  church  forces,  198- 

200 


Panama  Canal,  184 

Parables,  encouragement  from 
the  New  Testament,  165 ; 
modern  life,  194,  196 

Pastors,  as  leaders,  58-60;  en- 
terprise and  vigilance,  40, 
55-60;  new  helpers  of,  192 

Peabody,  Dr.  F.  G.,  quoted.  85 

Personal  witnessing  and  work, 
52,  53 

Philanthropy    and    the    gospel, 

134 

Philippines,  the,  201 
Pittsburgh,  lay.  workers  in,  67, 
68;  steel  mill  in,  32,  32 


INDEX 


225 


Pleasant     Sunday    afternoons, 

125 
Pleasure  enthroned,  44,  45 
Polyglot  pastoral  work,  170 
Population,    foreign,    of    New 

York  City,  170 
Populations  of  America,  6,  7, 

18,  19 ;  roving,  39-43 
Porto  Rico,   147,   148,  201,  203 
Positive  and  negative  Christian 

workmen,  18 
Possibilities,    in    men,    152;    in 

races,  29 
Poteat,  President  E.  M.,  quoted 

on  Negro  conditions,  25,  26 
Prairie  schooner,  152 
Prayer,  56,  62,  64,  66 
Presb3^erian      social      service 

work,   171 
President,    a    possible    future, 

158,  159 
Preventive  work,  88 
Protestantism,   5,  6;   the  new, 

129 
Public  conscience,  127,  130 
Public     school,     the,    4,      21 ; 

qualities  required  in  the  prin- 
cipal,   122;   teacher   starts   a 

reform,  96 
Publication  Societies,  202 

R 

Race  problems,  23,  25,  28 

Raphael's  skill,  151 

Reformation,  the,  and  the  in- 
dividual, 81,  82 

"Religious  astigmatism,"  195 

Republic,  Plato's,  social  soli- 
darity and  stoics  in,  81 

Road  building  in  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts,  19 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  131 

Rural  community,  ideals  for  a, 
90,  91 

S 
Sacrifical  service,  189,  190 
Safeguards,  a  Christian's,  99 


Saint  Paul  and  the  individual, 
81,  82 ;  quoted  with  comment, 

159 
Saloon,  the,  94,  95 
Salvation,  a  church's,  60,  61 
Sane  ambition,  a,  90 
School  work  of  the  Churches 

and  workers  needed,  200,  201 
Selfishness,  118 
Shaftesbury,  Earl  of,  87 
Shops,  social  helpers  in,  91 
Simple  lives,  17 
Sin,  130 

Size  impresses,  3 
Slovak  people  in  Pennsylvania, 

204 
Social  life  and  the  church,  125, 

126 
Social  problems,  81-84 
Social    service,    an    expert    in, 

87-89;    in    factory    life,    91; 

suggestions  for,  87-93 
Social  work  in  New  York  City, 

87-89;  I 69-1 71 
Society  and  the  individual,  85 
Special    service,    opportunities 

for,  200-209 
Springs  of  right  life,  4 
Steiner,  Dr.,  quoted,  32-34 
Street  children,  176 
Strike-breakers,  42 
Stuckenberg,  Dr.,  referred  to, 

85 

Stumbling-blocks  and  stepping- 
stones,  23 

Sunday-schools,  65,  71,  7^,  206- 
208 


Temptations,  115-117 

Three   centuries,   past   and   to 

come,  19,  20,  54 
Three  dimensions  of  a  church, 

112 
Tippy,  Dr.  Worth  M.,  quoted, 

158;  referred  to,  168.  190 
Tools,  God's  use  of,  18 
Tract  Societies,  202 


226 


INDEX 


Tree,  story  of  a,  99 
Trolley-arm,  the,  105,  106 
Two  churches  and  two  pastors, 
58,  59 

U 

Unemployed  Christians,  prob- 
lem of  the,  191 

Union  meetings,  132 

Unit,  value  of  the,  81 

Universities,  41,  42 

University  Place  Church,  New 
York  City,  169 

Uplift,  forces  at  work,  160, 
161;  sure  means  of,  159; 
workers,  169 

V 
Vacation  habit,  the,  40 
Varied  types  of  social  work,  171 
Vision,  value  of  a,  113,  193 
Vitality,  test  of,  14 

W 
Wages,    a    skilled   workman's, 
31 


Washington,  D.  C,  and  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation,  166 

Washington  Square,  Judson 
Memorial  Church,  170 

Water  is  wealth,  154 

Wealth,   possessors   of,  9,   127 

Wichita,  Kan.,  gospel  teams, 
64,  65 

Williams,  Mr.  George,  of  Lon- 
don, finds  an  open  door,  204 

Williams,  Mr.  Mornay,  quoted, 
176 

Wilson,  Rev.  Warren  H.,  on 
the  ideal  church,  114 

Wilcox,  W.  H.,  quoted,  140 

Wonders  of  the  age  a  ground 
of  confidence,  47,  48 

Workmen,  early  and  later, 
11-16 


Young    Men's    Christian    As- 
sociation, 64,  166,  204,  207 
Young  people's  societies,  73 


Mission  Study  Courses 


"Anywhere,  provided  it  be  forward." — David  Livingstone. 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of  the 
MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


Educational  Committee:  G.  F.  Sutherland,  Chairman;  A. 
E  Armstrong,  J.  I.  Armstrong,  Frank  L.  Brown,  Hugh  L. 
Burleson,  W.  W.  Cleland,  W.  E.  Doughty,  H.  Paul  Douglass, 
Arthur  R.  Gray,  R.  A.  Hutchison,  B.  Carter  Milliken,  John 
M.  Moore,  John  H.  Poorman,  T.  Bronson  Ray,  Jay  S.  Stowell. 


The  Forward  Mission  Study  Courses  are  an  outgrowth  of 
a  conference  of  leaders  in  young  people's  mission  work,  held 
in  New  York  City,  December,  1901.  To  meet  the  need  that 
was  manifested  at  that  conference  for  mission  study  text- 
books suitable  for  young  people,  two  of  the  delegates,  Pro- 
fessor Amos  R.  Wells,  of  the  United  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  and  Mr.  S.  Earl  Taylor,  Chairman  of  the  General 
Missionary  Committee  of  the  Epworth  League,  projected^  the 
Mission  Study  Courses.  These  courses  have  been  officially 
adopted  by  the  Missionary  Education  Movement,  and  are  now 
under  the  immediate  direction  of  the  Educational  Committee 
of  the  Movement.  The  books  of  the  Movement  are  now  being 
used  by  more  than  forty  home  and  foreign  mission  boards  and 
societies  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

The  aim  is  to  publish  a  series  of  text-books  covering  the 
various  home  and  foreign  mission  fields  and  problems  and 
written  by  leading  authorities. 


The  following  text-books  having  a  sale  of  over  1,500,000  have 
been  published : 

1.  The  Price  of  Africa.    Biographical.     By  S.  Earl  Taylor. 

2.  Into  All  the  World.  A  general  survey  of  missions.  By 
Amos  R.  Wells. 

3.  Princely  Men  in  the  Heavenly  Kingdom.  Biographical. 
By  Harlan  P.  Beach. 

4.  Sunrise  in  the  Sunrise  Kingdom.  Revised  Edition.  A 
study  of  Japan.    By  John  H.  DeForest. 

5.  Heroes  of  the  Cross  in  America.  Home  Missions.  Bio- 
graphical.    By  Don  O.  Shelton. 

6.  Daybreak  in  the  Dark  Continent.  Revised  Edition.  A 
study  of  Africa.    By  Wilson  S.  Naylor. 

7.  The  Christian  Conquest  of  India.  A  study  of  India. 
By  James  M.  Thoburn. 

8.  Aliens  or  Americans?  A  study  of  Immigration.  By 
Howard  B.  Grose. 

9.  The  Uplift  of  China.  Revised  Edition.  A  study  of 
China.    By  Arthur  H.  Smith. 

10.  The  Challenge  of  the  City.  A  study  of  the  City.  By 
Josiah  Strong. 

11.  The  Why  and  How  of  Foreign  Missions.  A  study  of 
the  relation  of  the  home  Church  to  the  foreign  missionary  enter- 
prise.   By  Arthur  J.  Brown. 

12.  The  Moslem  World.  A  study  of  the  Mohammedan 
world.    By  Samuel  M.  Zwemer. 

13.  The  Frontier.  A  study  of  the  New  West.  By  Ward 
Piatt. 

14.  South  America:  Its  Missionary  Problems.  A  study  of 
South  America.    By  Thomas  B.  Neely. 

15.  The  Upward  Path  :  The  Evolution  of  a  Race.  A  study 
of  the  Negro.    By  Mary  Helm. 

16.  Korea  in  Transition.  A  study  of  Korea.  By  James  S. 
Gale. 

17.  Advance  in  the  Antilles.  A  study  of  Cuba  and  Porto 
Rico.     By  Howard  B.  Grose. 

18.  The  Decisive  Hour  of  Christian  Missions.  A  study 
of  conditions  throughout  the  non-Christian  world.  By  John  R. 
Mott. 

19.  India  Awakening.  A  study  of  present  conditions  in 
India.    By  Sherwood  Eddy. 

20.  The  Church  of  the  Open  Country.  A  study  of  the 
problem  of  the  Rural  Church.    By  Warren  H.  Wilson. 

21.  The  Call  of  the  World.  A  survey  of  conditions  at  home 
and  abroad  of  challenging  interest  to  men.     By  W.  E.  Doughty. 

22.  TnjE  Emergency  in  China.  A  study  of  present-day  con- 
ditions in  China.     By  F.  L.  Hawks  Pott. 

23.  Mexico  To-day:  Social,  Political,  and  Religious  Con- 
ditions. A  study  of  present-day  conditions  in  Mexico.  By 
George  B.  Winton. 


24-  Immigrant  Forces.  A  study  of  the  immigrant  in  his 
home  and  American  environment.     By  William  P.  Shriver. 

25.  The  New  Era  in  Asia.  Contrast  of  early  and  present 
conditions  in  the  Orient.    By  Sherwood  Eddy. 

26.  The  Social  Aspects  of  Foreign  Missions.  A  study  of 
the  social  achievements  of  foreign  missions.  By  W.  H.  P. 
Faunce. 

27.  The  New  Home  Missions.  A  study  of  the  social  achieve- 
ments and  social  program  of  home  missions.  By  H.  Paul 
Douglass. 

28.  The  American  Indian  on  the  New  Trail.  A  story  of 
the  Red  Men  of  the  United  States  and  the  Christian  gospel.  By 
Thomas  C.  Mofifett. 

29.  The  Individual  and  the  Social  Gospel.  A  study  of  the 
individual  in  the  local  church  and  his  relation  to  the  social  mes- 
sage of  the  gospel.    By  Shailer  Mathews. 

30.  Rising  Churches  in  Non-Christian  Lands.  A  study  of 
the  native  Church  and  its  development  in  the  foreign  mission 
field.    By  Arthur  J.  Brown. 

31.  The  Churches  at  Work.  A  statement  of  the  work  of  the 
churches  in  the  local  community  in  the  United  States.  By 
Charles  L.  White. 

32.  Efficiency  Points.  The  Bible,  Service,  Giving,  Prayer, 
— four  conditions  of  efficiency.    By  W.  E.  Doughty. 

In  addition  to  the  above  courses,  the  following  have  been  pub- 
lished especially  for  use  among  younger  persons : 

1.  Uganda's  White  Man  of  Work.  The  story  of  Alexander 
M.  Mackay  of  Africa.    By  Sophia  Lyon  Fahs. 

2.  Servants  of  the  King.  A  series  of  eleven  sketches  of 
famous  home  and  foreign  missionaries.    By  Robert  E.  Speer. 

3.  Under  Marching  Orders.  The  story  of  Mary  Porter 
Gamewell  of  China.    By  Ethel  Daniels  Hubbard. 

4.  Winning  the  Oregon  Country.  The  story  of  Marcus 
Whitman  and  Jason  Lee  in  the  Oregon  country.  By  John  T. 
Faris. 

5.  The  Black  Bearded  Barbarian.  The  story  of  George 
Leslie  Mackay  of  Formosa.    By  Marian  Keith. 

6.  Livingstone  the  Pathfinder.  The  story  of  David  Living- 
stone.   By  Basil  Mathews. 

7.  Ann  of  Ava.  The  story  of  Ann  Hasseltine  Judson  of 
Burma.    By  Ethel  Daniels  Hubbard. 

8.  Comrades  in  Service.  Eleven  brief  biographies  of  Chris- 
tian workers.    By  Margaret  E.  Burton. 

These  books  are  published  by  mutual  arrangement  among  the 
home  and  foreign  mission  boards,  to  whom  all  orders  should  be 
addressed.  They  are  bound  uniformly  and  are  sold  at  60  cents 
in  cloth,  and  40  cents  in  paper;  prepaid.  Nos.  21,  29,  and  ^2 
are  25  cents  in  cloth,  prepaid. 


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and  20  cents  extra  for  foreign  postage. 

EVERYLAND,  156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York  Cily 


Princeton  Theoloqical  ,Sem\nf;^,V;^,rf,[i," 


1    1012  01234  8464 


Date  Due 


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